Sha Tin Kitchen

The much-lauded Sha Tin Kitchen is helmed by Hong Kong chef, Tonny Chan, who impresses with his signature Cantonese dishes (Sha Tin has since changed chefs as of July ‘09). Don’t let this air-conditioned restaurant’s nondescript appearance fool you, for what it lacks of in ambience, it more than makes up for with deliciously authentic Cantonese fare.

Prior to our visit with the family, Mum and I prowled their website for signature dishes, and our lunch menu was decided even before we set foot in Sha Tin. We decided to try their famous 臥虎藏龙(Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon), otherwise known as lobster & egg white mousse with scallop, Braised Abalone, Braised Crab with Ramen, and Double-boiled Shark Cartilage with Fish Maw Soup.

The Double-boiled Shark Cartilage with Fish Maw Soup ($38) [***.] was the first to arrive, and my hands shook a little as I eyed the shark cartilage suspiciously. One must understand that when it comes to sharks, I’ve not ventured beyond sharks’ fin. The clear broth was rather plain to me, but perhaps this unique soup is an acquired taste. Slightly crunchy and roughly-textured, the shark cartilage took a bit of chewing.

Next on the list is the much-anticipated 臥虎藏龙 (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) ($6/serving) [****.], pictured here in a crisp golden basket teeming with lobster meat and egg white mousse, and garnished with dried scallop and curry leaf. This is something you’ve absolutely got to try.

For abalone-lovers out there, Sha Tin serves 2 types of braised abalone – two-headed/six-headed. We ordered 2 portions of their Two-headed Braised Abalone [****], each costs $48. Their attentive staff promptly cut each portion into quarters for everyone to share. Each morsel of braised abalone was very delish and slid down the throat with ease.

Next up is the Braised Mixed Seafood Claypot ($18) [**.] which surprisingly failed to impress. Though chockful of ingredients, it lacked sapidity and even seemed slightly over-braised for ingredients like the sea cucumber and mushrooms. I’d suggest you skip this dish and make room for other recommendations on their menu.

Thankfully, Sha Tin’s signature Braised Crab with Ramen ($60 | serves 6) [****] fared much better, with ramen in a gravy steeped with the briny flavour of crab roe. The ramen is pictured here in its individual serving, but prior to this the dish is served in a pot with big red crab shells and pincers adorning a pile of ramen. I really liked the taste of braised crab (a Cantonese favourite it seems) which was also a staple for the now-defunct Canton Wok over at Joo Chiat. Chef Kang of Canton Wok used to serve his signature crab dish steamed with glutinous rice. However, his competitor Chef Tonny Chan’s version is typically Cantonese with lots of gravy which really is an egg-based soup all on its own.

Last but certainly not least, is Sha Tin’s Hashima with Red Dice ($6) [*****] which I dare say is the best hashima (a luxurious traditional Chinese dessert made with snow fungus & rock sugar amongst others) I’ve ever had. Their version is made with sweet red dice, rock sugar, snow fungus, and dates…and every mouthful practically melts in your mouth. More importantly, it wasn’t saccharine sweet so one can tell that sugar syrup and artificial flavourings weren’t used. All in all, it was a refreshing end to a scrumptious Cantonese meal.

/ prices stated are subject to 10% svc charge. No GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$-$$$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
8/10 Lorong 3 Geylang
Singapore 388861

Tel: +65 6747 2483 / 6744 7087

Website: http://www.sbestfood.com/shatinkitchen.htm

Opening hours:
Open daily from | 11.30am – 2.30pm & 6pm – 11pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Kallang

Buses: 26, 31, 13…

Gyoza no Ohsho Singapore

Tucked away at Cuppage Plaza in the side roads of Orchard Road, Gyoza no Ohsho appears to have affiliations with the Osaka Ohsho Co. who is known for their wildly popular gyoza and ramen chain in Japan. However, in Singapore they’re part of the Sential group who’s also behind the nearby Tamaya, Diamond Dust, and Cable Car. I’ve chanced upon Ohsho many a time, but my tummy somehow always led me to the nearby Ken Ramen House instead. Last night, K & I decided to walk over from Orchard Cineleisure to try out their ramen.

It turns out they’ve got dishes like Curry Udon ($11), Tom Yam Ramen ($13), and Mapo Tofu ($8) to cater to our spicy food inclinations. K ordered their Tom Yamen Ramen [***] pictured above, which had a very thick soup base enriched with lots of coconut milk, and was moderately spicy on the whole. But please don’t use my tastebuds for chilli as a gauge unless you’re a chilli lover yourself…I wouldn’t want any of you to be in dire need of milk or water to put out the flames. The downside to it was the prawns were rather overcooked, but the overall portion of ingredients was all right. Perhaps some things were overcooked at high temperatures (to cook faster) in order to accomodate the high turnover rate of tables at their tiny branch. In any case the soup was served piping hot, but the ramen itself was a tad too thin for my liking. I prefer my ramen noodle to be eggy, thick, smooth, and springy.

Therefore, I chose their Shio Ramen ($11) [***] which is ramen in a savoury soup base to get a real taste of the ramen noodle on its own. While I really liked the light and savoury broth, I didn’t quite fancy the ramen mostly because it was thin. Other than the ones mentioned above, they’ve also got the typical Miso Ramen ($11), Shoyu Ramen ($11), and Tamago Ramen ($13) amongst a number of others. It was a pity that we missed out on the gyoza and half-portions of Chahan [Japanese fried rice] that come in their sets (with their limited seating capacity and all we both felt compelled to leave earlier). For $15 or so one can get a selected bowl of ramen with a half portion of Japanese fried rice or a small portion of gyoza. It’s ideal for sharing if you’re not too hungry or if you don’t want to order their ala carte gyoza.

Perhaps next time I’ll return just for the gyoza. Simply because I’ve got a terrible craving for some right now.

/all prices are nett. No GST or Svc Charge

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6/10
Price – $-$$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
5 Koek Road #01-10
Cuppage Plaza Singapore 228796

38 Circular Road Singapore 049394

Tel: +65 6735 7068

Website: http://www.sential.com.sg

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 11.30am to 2am | Sun & P.H. days: 12pm to 12am

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Somerset

Buses: 123, 143, 65, 162, 124, 77…

Serenity Spanish Restaurant & Bar

Forging ahead with a new identity after celebrating their 1st year anniversary, Serenity Restaurant & Bistro, previously known for their Mediterranean cuisine is now branded as Serenity Spanish Restaurant & Bar. Serenity’s owner and director, Rona, chose a Spanish identity for her restaurant because of its holistic appeal. Spanish culture encompasses a vibrant experience which marries dining, music, and festive dancing—one that suits their waterfront location at Vivo City perfectly. The restaurant boasts a seating capacity of 210 (including alfresco seating), open-concept dining, and provides a variety of latin, acoustic, and jazz music live every night from 7.30 pm. Everything down to Serenity’s staff uniforms (influenced by Ibiza’s laidback party lifestyle) reflect their new image. Most importantly, their Spanish menu offers an extensive array of Spanish cuisines from different regions, with chief offerings from Spain’s third largest city, Valencia.

Before Serenity’s Spanish menu was launched in February this year, Valencian Chef Andrea was specially invited in December 2008 to provide rigorous training for Serenity’s culinary team, as well as tasting sessions to ensure the authencity of all dishes.

Thereafter, Serenity’s Executive Chef, Alvin Tan, introduced his interpretations of selected dishes – tweaking them to suit local tastebuds without compromising their authenticity. A large number of ingredients are also sourced from Spanish food suppliers, such as their chorizo and especially bomba rice which is a staple for their signature Paella Valenciana, other paella dishes, and Arroz con Leche dessert because of its good absorbency (3x its volume). Taking things a step further, Serenity is on the look out for more wines (and possibly beer) from various Spanish suppliers to add to their collection of Spanish liquors (such as 14 flavours of schnapps), after-meal drink Patcharan Olave and even Spanish coffee which contains kahlua. Brandy aficionados will be thrilled to see the 100-year-old Brandy Casajuana ($32, $118, $700), of which only slightly over 1000 bottles are produced and in Singapore it’s sold exclusively at Serenity.

K and I started our lunch with a zesty Sangria ($15) [***.] done Valencian-style with orange peel and lemon slices, and Mama Mia ($8) [****] - a refreshingly light mocktail made of lychee fruit, mango juice and grenadine. Both drinks went very well with our recommended tapas because they were fruit-based and not too heavy on the brandy or gin for the Sangria. While Mama Mia is Serenity’s own concoction, the Sangria and another called Spanish Bullfrog ($15) are authentically Spanish.

Our first two tapas – Croqueta de Pollo ($9) [***] and Spanish Tuna Piquillo ($10) [***] were hot and cold respectively. The former is a spanish chicken croquet, while the latter consists of roasted and chilled piquillo peppers stuffed with tuna and prawn. For those who are worried that the peppers may be too hot to handle, fret not because they’ve been de-seeded and peeled beforehand. Another tapas, Empanadillas or Spanish Tuna Puff ($11) [***] is available on the late-night menu together with the two above. It is a Spanish take on our local curry puff, only this one is baked and filled with tuna, egg, a little red wine, and possibly a hint of potato.

The last 3 tapas are my personal favourites of the lot – the Gambas al Ajillo ($12) [****.], Pan con Alioli ($6) [****] , and Jamón Ibérico ($18 – 25 grams) [****]. Simply seasoned with garlic, olive oil, dried red chilli and parsley, the prawns were succulent and tasty. Pan con Alioli is actually freshly-baked herb bread with sundried tomatoes served with Serenity’s home-made alioli dip (garlic, salt, olive oil, milk) which melts smoothly on the palate. Last but certainly not least of the three, is jamón ibérico or Iberian ham, which is fast-becoming an attraction on Spanish restaurant menus. This special cerdo negro (black pig) is salted for days and cured for 24 months in a secluded mountain cave used exclusively for that purpose. Therefore, the price of this thinly-sliced cured ham whose salty flavour lingers on your tastebuds…is self-explanatory. Our friendly and attentive waitress, Ellen, is pictured carving those coveted slices here.

Next up, our main course was Serenity’s signature Paella Valenciana ($40 – 2 pax / $80 – 4 pax) [****.], which has notably won the Singapore Top 100 Signature Dish Award 2009. Every serving of this colourful assortment takes 30-40 min to prepare, so it’s advisable to order this first even if you’re undecided on the rest of your meal. Serenity’s version is traditionally Valencian, prepared with bomba rice, prawns, half shell mussels, squid, chorizo, chicken, and saffron. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of peas you see here if you’re not a fan of them, I assure you that they taste nothing like frozen/half-frozen peas. Due to the long preparation time, every grain of bomba rice soaks up the individual flavours of the ingredients cooked with it, and is bursting with savoury goodness.

Accompanying our paella, we had the Lubina a la Sal [****] from Serenity’s Chef’s menu. For this weekend only (10-12 July), it is offered as part of a special 1-for-1 promotion for dine in only. Like the Paella Valenciana, this baked whole-seabass requires 30 min preparation time. The fish is hidden beneath a pile of fine sea salt and fresh bay leaves and served with a potato and salad on the side. I’ll let the photos show you how it is served at your table…all you have to do is pick up your fork. While the Spanish prefer to eat the crisp baked skin, I think it’s a tad too salty for our tastebuds. However, the flesh was soft and smooth and very light in taste. A very healthy choice for a main course I must say.

Now moving on to our (for some of us) highly-anticipated desserts…we tried the Peras al Vino Tinto ($9) [****.] and Arroz con Leche ($9) [****]. Tasting the Arroz con Leche was an interesting experience for me. It was one that reminded me very much of Thai mango sticky rice, or traditional Chinese glutinous rice desserts, only this was a traditional Spanish favourite. It consists of bomba rice cooked in milk, cream, and cinnamon (maybe a hint of custard too), served with vanilla ice-cream and garnished with mint leaf. All in all, it was a hearty, wholesome dessert that was surprisingly light.

Peras al Vino Tinto is apparently a popular choice among Serenity’s patrons because of its fruity and thus healthy properties. Poached pear drenched in red wine with vanilla ice-cream on the side is a decadent match in dessert heaven.

Serenity has my thumbs up.

Credit Card Promotions: AMEX cardholders are entitled to 15% off the ala carte menu | Standard Chartered cardholders are also entitled to 15% off.

In-house Promotions:

Mon & Tue (11-3pm) | 2-for-1 ala carte: order 3 dishes & get 1 free

High Tea (2-6pm daily):

Set A | order 1 Tapas/1 Dessert + Free flow of drinks (Student $8.80 | Adult $10.80)

Set B | order 2 Tapas/2 Desserts OR 1 Tapas + 1 Dessert & free flow of drinks (Student $11.80 | Adult $13.80)

3-course set lunches are also available from 11-3pm daily: Pasta Set ($10.90) | Executive Set ($16.90)

/all prices are subject to 10% svc charge & 7% GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$-$$$$
Service – 10/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 9/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
No.1 Harbourfront Walk #01-98/99
VivoCity Singapore 098585

Tel: +65 6376 8185

Website: http://www.serenity.com.sg

Opening hours:
Sun to Thu (11am – 11pm) Fri & Sat (11am -12am)

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Harborfront (NEL)

Buses: 57, 145, 143, 65, 61, 855…

Caramel Cafe

My latest whimsical obsession, Caramel Cafe, has certainly been well-publicised in various magazines and tv shows. But nevertheless, they are a worthy mention that I’d like to share with anyone who hasn’t heard of them yet. Started in January 2009, Caramel Cafe is a labour of love that is not only a cafe, but also a hair salon and retail venture. Hairloom (nice pun there) is located in the same premises, and they’ve recently started their retail arm, Oject d’Art, which means ‘work of art’. Expect nothing less than cosy yet quirky interiors for an afternoon tête-à-tête over tea and desserts. I really like the bright airy feel you get indoors because of their glass doors let the light stream in and all. They close at 8pm on weeknights and 10pm on weekends (closed Sun) so don’t get there too late!

My girlfriend A and I were mesmerised by their counter (pictured here) for a good 5 minutes or so. It looked so inviting and the dessert display had rows of cupcakes amongst others. Loved the decor which is rather reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland don’t you think? The owners did a great job in transforming simple pieces of furniture into eclectic pieces by reupholstering them. But this place isn’t just for show…the good people at Caramel Cafe are very friendly and very very attentive. They also seem to bake a lot at regular intervals. Which can only mean that they freshly bake their fabulous desserts daily. I also like how their ovens are located just behind the high counter so that one can catch whiffs of what’s in the oven. Believe me that’s one great sales strategy!

After careful deliberation, A and I decided to have their Lemon Creme and Carrot Cream Cheese cupcakes ($3.50 each), Warm Chocolate Banana Cake ($6.90) and a pot of chamomile tea for two ($2.90). Each resting in delicate casings, our cupcakes looked simple and were served on a gorgeous plate. Well that would be an understatement. From furniture to cutlery, plates to tea pots, everything was meticulously handpicked. A and I were so intrigued by our tea cups that we turned them upside down to get a hint of their origins (answer: Japan & China). Oh yes do ask them for honey to add to your tea because their honey’s great…

Of the 2 cupcakes, I preferred the Carrot Cream Cheese [****] one. I was very surprised that it contained miniscule carrot bits in its centre, and the cream cheese was a great pairing. Personally, I would’ve liked it to be a little more moist. The Lemon Creme [***] one, however, could’ve had more lemony zest. The lemon creme was light and just the right amout of sweet, but it would’ve been to add more zest to it.

Not forgetting our chocolate staple, I found their Warm Chocolate Banana Cake [****] served with vanilla ice-cream on the side really, really good. Though it wasn’t oozing thick, hot chocolate the way some outrageously sinful chocolate cakes do, this one was sufficiently moist and not overly sweet. Warm chocolate still oozed from its centre, but blended with mushy banana slices…it was a wonderful match. And it’s topped with cocoa powder. How can we contend with that? What I loved about this cake was the fact that I didn’t feel too guilty afterwards…

Can’t wait to return for more delectable treats from Caramel. This time I’d like to try their lunch menu too!

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $-$$
Service – 10/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
100 Beach Road
#01-50/52 Shaw Towers
Singapore 189702

Tel: +65 6295 2188

Website: http://hairloomandcaramel.blogspot.com

Opening hours:
Mondays – Thursdays
12pm – 8pm
Fridays & Saturdays
12pm – 10pm
Sundays & Public Holidays
Closed

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: City Hall or Bugis

Buses: 57, 100, 107…

Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant

Today I discovered a different side to the quiet and laidback area of Jalan Jurong Kechil. Lorong Kilat runs a lane before Chun Tin Road (where the homely Sup Sip & Vis-a-Vis resides) and is slowly welcoming new F&B establishments like Don Quijote which I visited for lunch today. Don Quijote has been around since January 2009 and will soon have a new neighbour – U.d.d.e.r.s opening on 19 June 2009. The Spanish restaurant is tucked away behind Shell station and faces Poh Tai Kok Temple on Lorong Kilat. Enticed by rave reviews about their paella and sangrias, K and I made a trip to satisfy our long-overdue paella craving. And I must say, we were not disappointed. Don Quijote has branches in Singapore and Macao, and their menu boasts more than 25 tapas and traditional Spanish fare like Paella Valencia, and the rare Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham).

While deliberating our already evident choice for lunch, we ordered red and white Sangrias ($12/gls) [****] to accompany our welcome bread which we promptly dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

After placing our order for Don Quijote’s Special Paella [****.] for 2-4 pax ($54), we were told that preparation and cooking will take 20-25 minutes…which is totally understandable because they use really fresh ingredients and paella is always made to order. For a moment I considered ordering some tapas to start us off, but recalled the waitress telling us their medium portion was pretty big. In any case, our waitresses for the day were very attentive and furnished us with another basket of bread the moment we were done. What they said was a 20-25 minute wait was really a lot shorter.

And to my delight, the rice was yellow. Not orange or red, but yellow. Which can only mean that they definitely used saffron. Hence the price tag. If it were tomato-based, the rice grains will be orangey-red which is typical of some of the many variations of this popular staple in the Spanish diet. Earlier on, we could choose to have our rice done al dente or soft, and we picked al dente. However, it turned out rather soft though it was still very good.

I loved the rice which was thoroughly infused with savoury flavours, light spices, and rich broth. Every grain oozed seafood goodness. The assortment of seafood comprised clams, mussels, king prawns, and squid rings. Beneath this pile of seafood you see here, the rice was mixed with small chunks of chicken and yet more prawns. A real hearty seafood meal. The best part for me was the bottom of the pan where the rice grains were slightly charred (not burnt) and the small prawns that absorbed the myriad of flavours. Every mouthful had the succulent taste of fresh seafood.

So despite the price, we were getting great quality paella in generous portions. By the end of the meal I was too stuffed for dessert or more tapas, and I believe I speak for K as well. Don Quijote has 3-course lunch sets and other promotions, so do check out their website for more details. Well, one thing’s for sure – I’ll definitely come back for more.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09 Singapore 598139

Tel: +65 6465 1811

Website: http://www.don-quijote-restaurants.com

Opening hours:
Open from Tuesdays to Sundays
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11.30am to 3.00pm

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Clementi

Buses: 985, 157, 61…

ABC Brickworks Food Centre I | Ong Khim Popiah

Jalan Bukit Merah has a number of hawker stalls who have garnered a loyal following among the likes of office workers in the vicinity. Today, I present you the first part of my ABC hawker series [Alexandra Village Hawker Centre is another nearby food place with great food so that's next on my makan (eating) itinerary] where I found a replacement for my dearly retired Cathay Popiah who closed their doors when Tekka Market closed for renovations. It took me an eternity to find a worthy successor, and Ong Khim Popiah is it. I was so happy I had 2 popiahs during lunch and 2 more at tea time.

What sets Cathay and Ong Khim apart from the likes of Glory’s and another popiah stall at a Balestier Road coffee shop at the T-junction of Kim Keat Road opposite Balestier Point…is the popiah skin. There are essentially 2 camps when it comes to popiah – the wet, (turnip) bang kuang-soaked type and the dry, fine-skinned type. Ong Khim’s has the staple ingredients like turnip, egg, ground peanuts, fried shallots/garlic and chinese parsley (wang swee), with the addition of crab meat. Each popiah costs $1.30, and contains neither pork nor lard.

What I love about their popiah is how their bang kuang is served from a simmering pot (ensuring its freshly-made quality), the abundance of crisp shallots, egg and very thin popiah skin. As all popiah lovers will know, the bang kuang and popiah skin can make or break a good popiah. None of those thick, mass-produced popiah skins for us. You must try them if you’re in the vicinity!

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
6 Jln Bukit Merah, ABC Brickworks Food Centre, #01-124

Opening hours:
11 am – 8 pm

Nearest MRT: Redhill/Outram (NEL)

Buses: 147, 855, 123, 153, 196…

Simpang Bedok I

This was actually my second trip to Simpang Bedok, the first was a lunch visit with D to Spize The Supperclub (uh-huh, didn’t occur to her – it’s ok I still love you D). So to make things right, we made our first official visit to Spize for a late dinner over the weekend. Therefore, the following will be a review of Spize and Badoque (where we had dessert).

For the record, Simpang Bedok is a hotspot for halal food with places like Tang Tea House [357/359 Bedok Road (Opp. Simpang Bedok Post Off) Tel: 6445 9100], Asian Fare & Grill [282, Bedok Road, Tel: 6445 9987] and Badoque among others. And those of you who are wondering where Foo House Cafe & Bar (the place with wonderful Irish-Hainanese food prev. at Jln Pari Burong in Simpang Bedok) has moved to, they are now at Tanjong Katong next to Full House (a Korean restaurant/cafe).

Without further adue, we’ve got Spize’s Chicken Shawarma ($5) [***.] in a warm tortilla wrap (there’s also the option of pita bread) served with wasabi chips. Value for money I must say. The chicken was very tender and juicy, but they could’ve cut back a little on mayonnaise. The wasabi chips were an unusual addition, but I like them because they go well with the wrap.

D had Spize’s signature Bullet Pepper Steak ($14.90) [****] pictured here. Served on a grill plate, there was mashed potato, a corn cob and vegetables accompanying the very very juicy piece of steak. Each morsel of beef oozed savoury goodness…yums. Grilled meats are definitely one of their specials as they claim. Our food was so good it didn’t matter that we were seated at a table by the road across the petrol station. Spize actually has a front and back seating area, but we were out front because we wanted to avoid the human congestion out back.

Our next stop after our leisurely post-dinner walk around Simpang Bedok was Badoque for dessert. With celebrity chef, Rizal, who writes for Berita Minggu fortnightly at the helm, we wanted to get a taste of their desserts (I’d like to try their tapas & main courses another time).

They close around 11 pm on saturday nights, so we were pretty lucky dessert was still on the cards when we got there around 10 plus. We ordered their Ice-cream and Cakes Sundae ($8.50) [***] - a sweet combination of 3 scoops of ice-cream and 3 cakes – to share. All in all there was a summer berry topping, raspberry ripple, caramel, strawberry, marquise cake, oreo cake and chocolate banana cake. As a whole, what we selected complemented each other, but when I tasted each individually I wasn’t impressed. It seemed that their ice-cream wasn’t made in-house (perhaps I’m wrong but it’s taste suggested otherwise), while their cakes were at best fairly good. Therefore, I thought it was smart of them to offer a mix & match.

/all prices stated above are nett (no service charge & GST)

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – refer to individual ratings above
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6445 3211 (Spize) | +65 6446 6928 (Badoque)

Website: http://spizeconcepts.com | Badoque’s Facebook Page

Address:
(Spize The Supperclub) 336 Bedok Road, Singapore 469512
(Badoque) 298 Bedok Rd – behind Shop & Save

Opening hours:
(Spize) – Weekdays: 2pm – 4am | Weekends: 2pm – 4.30pm
(Badoque) – to be confirmed

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Tanah Merah

Buses: 9, 10, 2…

Lotus Thai Viet

Some local restaurants are slowly but surely accumulating new customers by situating themselves in prime food courts around Singapore. Lotus Thai Restaurant in Murray Terrace near Maxwell Road, is one of them, with 11 outlets named Lotus Thai Viet in various food courts since 2004.

Kopitiam at Vivo City (Basement 1), Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza (Level 3), and My Dining Room @ Kopitiam at The Central (Level 4) are some of these 11. The outlet featured on the left is located at Square 2’s Fork & Spoon Food Court on Level 4. This stall can get pretty busy during lunch hour, so do pop by early if you can.

Lotus Thai Viet has 1 of the best Thai Fresh Spring Rolls ($4) [****] I’ve tried (those in rice paper sheets with heaps of greens & prawns). Their version may not have prawns in them, but their sauce dip more than makes up for it because it takes the edge off the plain basil or coriander (cilantro) leaves. To date, I’ve also tried their Pineapple Fried Rice ($4.50) [***.] and Thai Beef Noodles ($4) [****] which had an ample amount of fresh mint leaves in a tasty beef broth. Don’t underestimate a simple ingredient like mint leaves, for it has a significant role to play in making a Thai dish palatable.

For those who are dining in groups, you should order a couple of their steamboat sets to share along with additional sides. Each set has 3 dishes, perfect for sampling. On my recent visit, I ordered their Tom Yam Steamboat Set ($16.90) to share with my mum and brother. It was value-for-money because it came with rice, a fried omelette atop a bed of beansprouts, Thai fried chicken with vegetables and a big pot of tom yam steamboat. For the meat dish in the set, you’ll have a choice of chicken/fish.

What I like about their tom yam steamboat, is the tom yam soup of course. Personally, I love clear tom yam broths (without the coconut milk) with little chillis to spice it up. Lotus Thai Viet’s is slightly different, with their addition of red dates to their soup. I believe they’ve got other herbal ingredients as well, but they were not visible in the pot served to us.

For those who are averse to anything hot & spicy, rest assured that their tom yam is safe for your consumption (in other words, it won’t bring tears to your eyes). I make this statement using my sister (who trust me, has an extremely low tolerance for spices) as a gauge.

Now you know where to go for really affordable Thai…My next stop for Thai food will be: Jane Thai Food (400 Orchard Road, Orchard Towers, #04-30) recommended by my friend J (who isn’t Jane by the way).

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – 6.5/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6224 6416

Address:
(Outlet featured) Square 2 Fork & Spoon Food Court
(Main Restaurant) Murray Terrace 16 Murray Street, Singapore 079526

Opening hours:
(Main Restaurant) – Lunch: 11am – 3pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Novena (Square 2) / Tanjong Pagar (Main Restaurant)

Buses: 56, 57, 124, 21, 980, 166, 54…

Lao Ah Di (老亚弟肉骨茶)

The family was in the mood for some bak kut teh one afternoon, so we trooped over to Lao Ah Di. Personally, I don’t like my bak kut teh to be too peppery. If the soup is herbal or has a strong tea taste, I’m fine with it as long as it doesn’t taste medicinal (the way Traditional Chinese Medicine can taste).

For bak kut teh, I’d usually head down to Founder Bak Kut Teh opposite Shaw Plaza along Balestier Road. Yes, they are pricey compared to the rest along Balestier, but they are good. Another bak kut teh place I patronise (seldom now because it’s a tad inconvenient) is Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha (No. 7 Keppel Rd #01-05/07, PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, Tel: 6222 9610, Open: 7am-3pm, Closed Mon)

Back to Lao Ah Di – a meal of bak kut teh, you char kueh (fried dough fritters), preserved salted vegetables (a staple in any bak kut teh meal), pig intestines, and rice will set you back $5-$6 if you dine in a group of 6. One thing I didn’t like was their very puny portions of rice. Trust me, you’ll need at least 2 bowls of rice unless you’re on a diet.

The bak kut teh was a bit of a letdown. The meat was tasteless and the soup was on the mildly peppery side. Everything had a rather watered-down taste to it (I don’t take my food with a lot salt either) with the exception of the salted vegetables and pig’s intestines. But according to my mum, their bak kut teh isn’t always like this. Therefore, I’ll give them a second chance though my first visit was a disappointment.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6/10
Price – $
Service – 4/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
#01-67 Block 34 Whampoa West, Singapore 330034

Opening hours:
7am – 3pm daily (Closed Monday)

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NEL)

Buses: 31, 133, 147, 985, 66, 23, 65, 64, 13, 857…

Ban Heng Air Conditioned Restaurant

Prior to my recent visit for my mum’s birthday, I last visited Ban Heng in my childhood when my grandpa was still around. It has changed a lot since then, with the renovations and powerful Carrier (“The Carrier Man Can”) airconditioning. Most of Ban Heng’s menu consists of sets with a la carte dishes, but it’s comparatively cheaper to order the set menu. Ban Heng’s specialty is their Teochew Cold Crab (priced per gram), and we called to enquire if pre-ordering was necessary.

This is the point where I account our unpleasant experience with one of their waiters. We were informed that pre-ordering wasn’t necessary because their cold crab was available throughout dinner (we were there on a Thursday night at 7 pm). Upon arrival, their waiter mildly rebuked us for not pre-ordering, citing reasons like the dish’s preparation time (2 hours). Logically speaking, a restaurant’s specialty should be available at all times unless otherwise (explicitly) specified. The irony was that this very waiter who rebuked us, was the one who took our reservation – yet he was insistent that he advised us contrary to our phone conversation. In any case, we shelved the matter after the manager tried to smooth things over (my mum was very disappointed to say the least) and settled for some of their set menus.

With prices ranging from $19.80-$39.80 per person for 7 courses, it was very affordable. We picked 2 variations: the Superior Shark’s Fin Set Menu ($33.80/person, min. 2 persons) and the Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Set Menu ($39.80/person, min. 2 persons).

The Superior Shark’s Fin Set Menu had the following: Prawn Salad with Mango, Braised Superior Shark’s Fin, Smoked Sliced Goose Meat, Steamed Cod Fish with Minced Garlic & Black Bean, Fried Vegetables with Garlic, Fried Noodles and Dessert.
The Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Set Menu had the following: Prawn Salad with Mango, Mini Buddha Jump Over the Wall, Steamed Cod Fish with Diced ‘Chye Poh’ (dried preserved radish) & Garlic, Smoked Sliced Goose Meat, Fried Vegetables with Garlic, Fried Noodles and Dessert.

2 dishes differentiate the 2 sets (those in italics) and the 2 cod fish dishes are pictured here. I preferred the Steamed Cod Fish with Diced ‘Chye Poh’ (dried preserved radish) & Garlic [****] which had a spicy tinge to because of the chillis and peppers. It wasn’t too oily too, because the cod itself is steamed beforehand. The Superior Shark’s Fin [***] and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall [***.] are both delicacies in their own right, especially with expensive ingredients like sea cucumber, shark’s fin, abalone, and fish maw among others. The former was done Teochew-style, with vegetables, while the latter had a broth infused with herbs.

On the left, we’ve got the Smoked Sliced Goose Meat [****] wrapped in a thin, delicate flour skin with cucumber and plum sauce. Very much like the Peking Duck in terms of taste (with the exception of leek and smoked meat instead of roasted meat).

Other than the abovementioned dishes, the Prawn Salad with Mango, Fried Noodles, and Fried Vegetables with Garlic were commonplace – albeit with too much mayonnaise for the salad.

Dessert was a little more fascinating thankfully, for we ordered their Deep Fried Ice-Cream [****]. I loved the crisp combination of hot dough fritter and cold vanilla ice-cream. It was either this, or Yam Paste for dessert.

Our dinner was fairly good on the whole, but I expect a lot more in terms of service. Hopefully, my next attempt to try their signature Teochew Cold Crab will not be another disappointment.

/ no service charge, prices stated above are subject to GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 4/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6291 0407

Address:
Blk 22 Boon Keng Road, #01-21
Singapore 330022

Opening hours:
11.30am to 3.00pm & 6.00pm to 10.00pm Daily

Website: http://banhengrestaurant.com

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NEL)

Buses: 31, 133, 147, 985, 66, 23, 65, 64, 13…

OrganiCafeXperience

My friend S brought me to OrganiCafeXperience on friday night for a nice organic dinner. I must admit that I had reservations about how tasty organic food could be, but this place pretty much dispelled them. Helmed by Chef Colin (previously from Hotel Phoenix), OrganiCafeXperience prides themselves in serving up thoroughly healthy fare with 100% fresh organic condiments. Located on the ground floor of Novena Square’s Velocity (in a corner next to MOS Burger), seating capacity ia about 20-ish. They have an interesting selection for their set meals ($17.90). But I only had eyes for the Seafood Aglio Olio ($13.90) [****] which was highly recommended by S. It’s common knowledge among my friends that aglio olio is my ultimate pasta favourite. I love it in any form, purist or not.

These are the main criteria to pass my aglio olio taste test:
1) how well the pasta is done al dente
2) quantity & quality of olive oil
3) combination of ingredients

I’ve had my fair share of sloppy aglio olio, so I’m rather stringent with compliments. Spagheddies serves a great chicken primavera and a decent bacon & ham aglio olio, Food Addict Cafe has one that’s cheap and relatively good, My Secret Garden has an abundance of succulent seafood, and Basil Alcove’s was passable. Before Turquoise Room closed their shutters, they were 1 of my favourites…now, I’ve added Organicafe’s to my list.

Spruced with alfafa sprouts, this aglio olio on the left has ample portions of prawns, mussels, scallops, mushroom, and even ham guaranteed to leave you satisfied. The spaghetti was good on its own with the right al dente texture, there was adequate olive oil, and the overall combination was harmonious.

Thereafter, we shared a wonderful Raspberry Yoghurt with very healthy (presumably organic) ingredients – plum & green apple slices, sunflower seeds, strawberries, raspberries and raisins atop a very light plain yoghurt. Mmmm….

Organic food isn’t ‘just vegetarian’, ‘plain’, or ‘oatmeal & wheat grains’…In fact, there’s meat and many others that our tastebuds are accustomed to. Next time you’re thinking of having a healthy meal, check out OrganiCafeXperience which has 3 outlets (Tampines, Novena & a third which I can’t recall) and let me know your impression! In the meantime, I intend to try their set meal on my next visit…

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
238 Thomson Road
#01-53 Velocity, Novena Square

Tel: +65 6352 7837

Opening hours:
11am – 9.30 pm (last order) daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Novena

Buses: 21, 131, 56, 57, 166, 980, 54…

Collagen Ramen at Koufu

Boasting a variety of 13 types of ramen on their menu, this stall should have something to suit your liking. Don’t expect Japanese ramen though, their speciality is collagen ramen (not egg-based ramen) in different soup bases, with different toppings. Collagen has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as anti-ageing and weight loss benefits (or so I’ve heard).

This stall’s ramen is more chinese than anything else if you ask me. Although I’ve had my share of bad experiences with food court ramen…this one’s different. Each strand of noodle is silky smooth, and the soup’s really tasty. Previously featured by the Straits Times, this stall makes it a point to have promotional prices for different items on the menu. Today, their Roast Pork & Corn Ramen (usual: $5, promo: $4.50) was one of a few.

The Roast Pork & Corn Ramen [***.] had generous portions of corn, roasted pork cubes, seaweed, carrots, and surprisingly…stewed egg. Well not the yummy Japanese sort from Ken Ramen House, but fairly decent nonetheless. A big bowl worth ordering. Prior to this I’ve also tried their Seafood Ramen ($5.50) [***], but I still prefer their Roast Pork & Corn. Other ramen favourites on the menu include the Char Siew Ramen ($5.50).

My mum ordered her usual Fried Fish Ramen ($4.80) [***] which had the same soup base as mine. The fish wasn’t oily so the overall combination was quite satisfying.

I’d definitely drop by this place again to try their spicy ramens. Looks like there’s hope for food court stalls just yet.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Website: http://www.koufu.com.sg

Address:
500 Toa Payoh Lorong 6
#02-30 HDB Centre
Singapore 310500

Opening hours:
Open daily | 9am-9pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

Rasa Sayang House (now defunct)

Rasa Sayang House is a really good halal food place in my neighbourhood. They’re a real hit with the nearby Bendemeer Secondary School students, machiks, enciks…well everyone essentially. Their speciality is the Hainanese Chicken Rice ($3) [***.] pictured here. Some other hot favourites include the Lemon Chicken Rice ($3) [***.] and Curry Chicken Noodles. In the mornings they serve up warm plates of Nasi Lemak, and local favourites such as Laksa and Mee Siam are available throughout the day. Tucked away in a block near the canal at Boon Keng, Rasa Sayang House is a 3-5 min walk from Boon Keng MRT.

One thing I like about this place is the way it’s set up – comfy cushioned wooden stools, warm lighting, tiled floors, English radio station playing in the background. It’s a pretty cosy vibe for chicken rice I’d think. Definitely not something one will expect for a small place like theirs. Getting back to their food…lets not forget the standard dishes that accompany a respectable dish of chicken rice – Chicken Feet ($3) [****] as seen on the right. Don’t cringe just yet, this one’s not too jelly-like, very tender, and well-seasoned with sesame oil, chilli, soya sauce and garnished with chinese parsley. So give it a shot if you’ve not tried chicken feet before.

Another accompanying dish you should consider is their Fried Tofu ($3) [****]. Served piping hot, topped with fresh lettuce and ground peanuts, drizzled with chilli sauce…these 6 cubes of tofu are crispy yet soft on the inside. Mmmmmm…

I’m looking forward to introducing more halal food places for my muslim readers out there, so stay tuned for more as D and I taste more halal food!

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
Blk 3 St. George’s Road, #01-97, Singapore 320003

Tel: +65 6294 8892

Email:
rasasayanghouse@singnet.com.sg

Opening hours:
6 am – 9 pm daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Boon Keng

Buses: 985, 31, 13, 147, 65, 66, 133, 23…

Ayam Bakar Ojolali

According to their website, ‘Ayam Bakar‘ means ‘Grilled Chicken’ while ‘Ojolali‘ is Javanese for ‘Don’t Forget’. Therefore, ‘Ayam Bakar Ojolali‘ stands for ‘Unforgettable Grilled Chicken’. Nice way of saying ‘we’re good’, but it’s also a high standard to live up to. But they don’t disappoint. Ever since D introduced me to Ojolali, I’ve been hooked. Now everytime we shop at Wisma Atria or Ngee Ann City across the road, we make a beeline for Lucky Plaza to have our meal.

Lets begin with their chilli. You know how people always say chilli sauce can make or break a good plate of chicken rice, whether hainanese, malay etc.? Well, Ojolali’s chilli is the Javanese sort. It’s made of lots of chilli padi (among others) that can sting your palate, bring tears to your eyes or make you perspire incessantly. But believe me, you’ll come back for more. A tad sadistic, but true. My well-tuned palate for spicy food took a stab the first time I tried it, but all’s good now. They’ve got a sweet black sauce that is supposed to be paired with the chilli and your food. It helps to take the heat off your tongue.

The Ayam Penyet or ’smashed chicken’ rice ($6.50) [****] pictured above is deep fried sinfulness with tahu (tofu) and tempe (fermented soya bean cake) as sides. Its evil oily grilled twin the Ayam Bakar ($6.50) [****] on the left is just as good with the same soya bean sidekicks.

Last but not least, do try their clear Oxtail Soup [***]. The meat is lean and tender, and MSG seemed thankfully absent. Other dishes you might want to consider is their Ikan Goreng Kipas (Crispy Fried Fish).

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6235 3597

Website: http://www.ayambakarojolali.com

Address:
304 Orchard Road, Lucky Plaza #03-39 & #03-43
Singapore 238863

Opening hours:
Open Daily | 12pm – 9pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Orchard

Buses: 65, 14, 36…

Korean stall | Toa Payoh HDB Hub Foodcourt

My mum, sis and I decided to check out the new Korean stall in the Toa Payoh HDB Hub Foodcourt for lunch earlier. I skeptically circled the stall while deciding between korean and nonya food..the boss was a friendly korean lady who recommended their Saba Set the moment she saw me. After much deliberation, my sis picked the Ramyeon ($4.50/$5), my mum ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice ($4.50/$5), and I had the Saba Set ($5.50). They also have 2 types of bibimbap, yuk gae jang (spicy beef/pork/chicken soup with vegetables) and kimchi soup on the menu. Not a bad selection for such a small stall.

As it turned out, their Ramyeon wasn’t too good [**.] because the noodles tasted like the instant type and ingredients were limited. The soup was relatively tasty, but could’ve been better. Comparing like for like, Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine over at the Meredien foodcourt has a better bowl of ramyeon.

However, all’s not lost. If there is 1 thing I’d definitely come back for…it’ll be their Saba Set [****]. The lady boss was right, the saba was well-grilled and retained its juicy sweetness. Topped with a teriyaki-like sauce, this fish was superb. What you see here is really only half a saba, but a sizeable portion nonetheless. Value for money.

Lastly, do skip the Kimchi Fried Rice [**.]. The rice was too sticky and it clumped together. Ingredients were scarce, consisting of egg and kimchi only. That being said, the kimchi was good even if the rice wasn’t. They do sell their side dishes of kimchi and anchovies (ikan bilis) separately if you’re interested. For korean food fans out there who don’t want to burn a hole in the pocket, do check out Kim Dae Mun at Meredien and the korean stall at Lavender Food Centre (near Jalan Besar) next to Eminent Plaza.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6/10 (worth visiting for their Saba)
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
Lorong 6 Toa Payoh HDB Hub, Basement,
Toa Payoh HDB Hub Food Court
Singapore 310460

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 11 am – approx 9 pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette

Rumours about Ah Chuan’s retirement have been circulating around my old neighbourhood, so I decided to make a trip down to affirm it. My fears were unfounded when I spotted the familiar sight of a long queue from a distance…at least they’re still around for now (I’ll make it a point to ask them about the rumours the next time I’m there).

Over the years, Ah Chuan’s fried oyster omelette has garnered mixed reviews from local foodies – “Too oily, too much starch, not crispy, too little oyster, great starchiness, crispy, generous portions of oysters”…etc. To each its own, these comments were all valid at some point of this stall’s existence.

However, (taking 11 years of patronage into consideration) I must say that in this year alone, they’ve been consistently good. I used to dislike oysters growing up (it’s sacrilege, I know), but this stall changed my taste buds. I used to dislike the gooey-ness and faint semi-rawness of oysters, but Ah Chuan’s oysters are sufficiently cooked…and rid of that queer taste. The chinese parsley it’s topped with balances the overall taste of the dish as well.

One thing I really…..love about their omelette is how crisp it is. Sure, their standards may have faltered in the past…but now, it’s great. Really. He doesn’t add to much starch either. If you’re feeling guilty about indulging in oil-laden food, feel free to ask for less oil. It’s always good to keep track of cholesterol and such. Ah Chuan sells both Prawn & Oyster omelette ($3, $4, $5, $8) – between the 2 the prawn omelette is less oily. Give both a shot while you’re there. Refrain from da-baoing (getting a takeaway) because you run the risk of the omelette losing its crispness.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 9/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
Block 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh
#01-25

Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Closed on Tuesdays

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT:Toa Payoh

Buses: 232, 238, 57

Istanbul Gourmet

Istanbul Gourmet at East Point Mall was recommended by my friend D a while ago so I decided to pop by with her yesterday to check it out. It was a tiny place with counter seating on the inside, and about 4 tables outside. Their menu was pasted on their glass door, alongside some newspaper cuttings about their chef – who was previously from Hyatt Hotel. After glimpsing through the articles, I raised my expectations a notch. I settled for their signature Chicken Roll ($7.50) after catching a whiff of chicken on the grill.

The portion turned out to be bigger than expected but I wasn’t complaining. I was pleased with how healthy my meal looked. There was chicken fillet stuffed with carrots and leek, topped with what appeared to be (and tasted like) tomato sauce. The sides consist of roasted potatoes with skin (yums), and a refreshing salad of shredded lettuce, cucumber cubes, diced tomatoes, celery, kidney beans and chickpeas drizzled with salad dressing.

The meat was tender and smooth, and wasn’t oily. The close-up here shows the individual pieces of the chicken roll. The leek wasn’t overpowering, and the salad went really well with the meat.

Unfortunately, I was a little full from brunch, so we didn’t order more. I’m keen to try their Beef Bomb ($8) and kebabs ($3.50-$4.50) which looked really appetising. Well, there’s always next time!

I give the chicken roll [****]!

/ all prices are nett

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6786 0509

Address:
#01-03, 3 Simei Street 6, Eastpoint Mall
Singapore 528833

Opening hours:
Tuesday To Sunday: 11.00am to 9.00pm
Monday: Closed

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Simei

Buses: 9, 38, 5, 579

U.d.d.e.r.s’ Ice-creamology

Charlinary brings to you our next event >>

image credit: southern-girl

An exclusive U.d.d.e.r.s ice-cream making workshop!

Learn a decadent subject you won’t regret..

Be an ice-cream chef for a day and try your hand at mixing, creaming, matching, and tasting your own unique ice-cream flavours! (everything from scratch)
Learn Ice-creamology at U.d.d.e.r.s and make your own ice-cream in future…

- find out how ice-cream came to be
- learn how to make ice-cream w/o a machine
- get info on where to buy your own ice-cream machine
- make your own unique flavours & share them with friends

\\ Details

Date: Sat, 4 October
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Location: U.d.d.e.r.s
Address: 155 Thomson Rd, Goldhill Shopping Centre, Singapore 307608

(all materials will be provided)

\\ Getting There

Map to U.d.d.e.r.s
Nearest MRT: Novena
Buses: 143, 57, 56, 167, 166, 980, 162, 21, 124, 131…

**Participants get 10% off all takeaway pints!!**

|| Sign up by 28 Sep & pay only $25 (incl. of door gift)

Limited places left so sign up soon!…(just drop me an email to register)
Feel free to spread the word, this event is open to all! Thank you

Cheers,
Char

A Homemade Japanese Feast

My mum, brother, and sister combined efforts to put together an awesome Japanese meal for dinner tonight…just thought I’d share it with everyone in an attempt to spark the trend of home-cooked meals. It’s real fun for a private get-together with friends or family. I’m thinking of holding a popiah (spring roll) & kueh pie tee (crispy shells with turnip fillings) party for my friends myself. All it takes is a little patience, fresh ingredients, recipes (these are optional really..) and help to just wing it! To spice it all up, you could even have nice table decorations, a vase of fresh flowers, glasses, cutlery etc. to create the mood or theme you want. Without further delay, I present some photos for you to feast your eyes upon…

Tempura Prawns lovingly fried by mum

Agedashi Tofu – my mum’s favourite (she’s psyched about finally getting it right)

Cha Soba (a nice cold addition to your carb intake)

Tamago Zensai made by my talented little brother (I’m hoping he’ll be a chef someday)

California Handrolls (without the avocado) wrapped by my brother

Assorted Mushroom Pot – a mix of enoki, straw, and shitake mushrooms (that layer of ‘oil’ is actually butter)

It’s a pity I didn’t take photos of our complete setting – we had individual Japanese bowls and plates for all the food. Well there’s always next time…So what are you waiting for? Try your hand at playing host some time too.

Solace for a persistent cold

Unlike most people who would opt for a warm cuppa or a comforting stew…I go for a rather toxic combination of things to ease my cold. Remember Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie at Paragon? Here’s what I ordered from them that fateful day when I was stranded in Orchard Road with a persistent cold:

Earl Grey Ice-cream with Milk Chocolate Shards & Raspberries ($8.50) [*****] - A perfect infusion of earl grey tea and vanilla ice-cream, leaving a lingering finish of earl grey on the palate. The ice-cream had good ‘longevity’ in my opinion - it took its time to melt – allowing you to savour this delightful dessert. There’s a nice balance of flavours here with a mildly sour tinge of raspberries, sweet milk chocolate, and sufficient earl grey to satisfy tea-lovers.  A definite must-try for ice-cream fans.

A warm, hearty concoction from Canele, this Rustic Bacon & Pea Soup ($8.50) [****.] has pieces of bacon, baby corn, chicken, peas and mushrooms. The essence of each ingredient can be tasted with a mere spoonful of soup. It’s light, definitely no MSG and such, and made with fresh ingredients that makes it a tasty start to a meal. The soup is served with Canele’s bread on the side, so dip away…

Now this is what I’d call a cure to a cold. 

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Locations:
Paragon

B1-25 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road

Telephone : (65) 6733-8893
Opening Hours : 11am to 10pm daily

Website: http://www.canele.com.sg

Other branches: Raffles City Shopping Centre | Shaw Centre | Robertson Walk

The Golden Mile.

Fancy some healthy hawker food?

This plate of char kway teow (fried flat noodles) is probably THE healthiest in town (don’t be deceived by the oil) . Glistening oil aside, this stall at Golden Mile Food Centre on Beach Road doesn’t use pork or lard in their cooking. A majority of char kway teow stalls use pork or lard as a staple ingredient, (as some of us know) thus giving the dish a bad reputation for contributing to sky-high cholesterol levels.
However, stall 91 not only proudly proclaims their adherence to healthy cooking, they demonstrate it with a pile of blanched leafy greens and fried ikan bilis (anchovies) toppings. Each dish comes in $3/$4/$5 portions. Now this is what I’d call almost guilt-free indulgence. Give them a shot after 25 August (they’re closed from 11-25 August ‘08) and find out how char kway teow [****] can still be yummy without the pork or lard. Cockle (batu ham) lovers will be glad to know that stall 91 automatically includes it unless you specify your preference.

For those who need a durian fix, there’s a stall at Golden Mile that sells this:

Yes, it’s durian chee cheong fun (steamed rice roll) [***] you’re looking at. It’s topped with crushed peanuts and stuffed with a durian filling. Though I’m not a fan of durian, I could taste why durian lovers would like it. The cheong fun was permeated with the robust flavour of durian, and was a steal at $2 a plate (as pictured here). Other stalls to consider at Golden Mile would be the original Sweet Stone Parad’Ice outlet – where you can order authentic Belgian waffles fresh from the waffle-maker. I noticed a beef noodles stall that looked rather enticing…I’ll update this post when I’ve got the chance to try it.

In the meantime, try a healthier diet…you may just like it.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583

Opening hours:
11.30 am onwards (daily)

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Lavender

Buses: 961, 145, 100…

The Orange Lantern

Today I craved Vietnamese food – a good bowl of beef pho in particular. That was how I ended up at The Orange Lantern at Killiney Road. I’ve seen their restaurant many times, but only decided to step into their warm, inviting interiors just now. They’ve been around since March 2005, and have other branches in Hougang Mall and Harborfront. Somehow, I’m attracted to the warm shophouse vibe that their original Killiney branch emits, so I opted for that location instead. Once I stepped inside, their extensive menu of Vietnamese delights kept my eyes busy for a bit. Their list of appetizers alone was pretty impressive. They had bacon wrapped in squid paste, spring rolls, vietnamese salads and so much more. After much debate, I settled on their Fresh Prawn Rolls ($6.50) [***] and Prawn Mango Salad ($7.90) [****] for appetisers.

The prawn rolls (pictured above) was accompanied by a light sauce that was mildly sweet and tangy. The vegetables were fresh, and the overall combination didn’t taste too raw. The skin wasn’t too dry and the taste of mint wasn’t overpowering. All in all a good appetiser to whet your tastebuds.

Next came the prawn mango salad. Unlike its Thai couterpart, this Vietnamese version of the mango salad wasn’t spicy, resulting in a rather zesty combination of flavours. Topped with fried onions, this salad wasn’t soggy with mango juices, and the mango was fresh. I’d say the same for the prawns too.

For my main course, I decided on Sliced Beef Pho in Chilli Soup ($7.90) [****]. This pho came with a spicy broth brimming with chilli flakes but it tasted oh-so-good…(no MSG added too). The sliced beef was tender and wasn’t overcooked, while the dish was peppered with floating onion slices and beansprouts. On the side, we’ve got a dish of raw beansprouts, chilli sauces, and fresh lime to go with the pho. I was very satisfied with my beef pho. Ever since Nick’s Kitchen on Thomson Road closed down years back, I’ve not had a decent bowl of beef pho. Kudos to The Orange Lantern for rekindling my love for Vietnamese pho. I guess my next stop for Vietnamese will be Va Va Voom over on 36 Seah Street.

/ prices stated above not inclusive of ++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6732 8032

Address:
73 Killiney Rd

Opening hours:
11 am – 10 pm daily

Website:
http://www.orange-lantern.com/Home/main.htm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Somerset

The Last Bryani.

photo cred: karen

Dearly beloved readers,

I will be hosting a group lunch this Mon & Tue to bid adieu to 1 of my favourite Nasi Bryani stalls…

Though they will close on 15 August (Fri) for good…I’ll keep you posted on their next foray into F&B as soon as I get the news.

Date(s): 11 & 12 Aug

Time: 12 pm – 2 pm

Venue: National Environmental Agency Food Court
40 Scotts Road, Environment Building #02-00, Singapore 228231

Nearest MRT: Newton

Buses: 143, 124, 700, 54, 171, 162, 190, 167…

RSVP by 10 August (Sun) to facilitate seating & food arrangements (Let me know which date you pick)

Do join us if you’ve got your Monday off (thanks to the nation) or if you’re in the vicinity…

Lunch will be less than $5 per person (depending on what you order)
They’ve got an array of fish, meats, vegetables, prata rolls and such to choose from (subject to availability)

If you’ve got an insatiable craving for a particular item, do let me know and I’ll try my best to get the stall owner to cater it.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Char
E: charlinary@gmail.com

Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine

Kim Dae Mun is a Korean food stall that has resided in the Le Meridien Food Court since 2002 or so. With Korean cooks and assistants in the kitchen, this place serves up authentic Korean fare at affordable prices. I first stumbled upon this place in 2005, after a visit to the food court for some Thai beef noodles. One of the things I really like at Kim Dae Mun is their Potato Pancake ($3.50) [****] as pictured here. The thin, crisp pancake doesn’t taste starchy despite the use of potato flour, and goes very well with a tangy sauce dip. The addition of white sesame seeds is a must for every dish, and it’s something I noticed while queuing for my food.

Another dish I like is their Korean Glass Noodles ($4.50) [***] which isn’t overly oily, and comes chockful of ingredients like prawns, vegetables, and egg. It’s accompanied by a choice of 1 side. Usually I’ll pick either the anchovies (ikan bilis) or kimchi to go with the noodles. For me it’s always a toss up between the Thai Pad Thai and Korean Glass Noodles. Both of which have somewhat similar ingredients but still manage to taste different. The important thing that sets a good dish of glass noodles apart, is definitely fresh ingredients.

Fancy some Korean-style ramen? [**.] Try some of Kim Dae Mun’s. At $4.50 a bowl, their ramen comes with egg, vegetables, and chicken. The soup’s tasty enough, but it could be spicier I felt. If you’ve got the tastebuds for spicy stuff, do try their Hot Beancurd Soup with Rice ($6) [****]. The soup is served piping hot in a black pot, with sliced pork, straw mushrooms, and la la shells (a variation of clams). Meat lovers will be glad to know that they’ve also got hotplate meats such as spicy pork, beef, and chicken on the menu. Others include spicy squid and more soups. All in all a sizeable selection for a food court stall that has a constant stream of customers (some of them Koreans too) every weekend.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
100 Orchard Road, Level 1, Le Meridien Food Court

Opening hours:
10 am – 9 pm daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut

Anatolia Turkish Restaurant

Anatolia Turkish Restaurant is one of the better known Turkish restaurants in town. They’ve been around for eons at Far East Plaza. Back in my school days, I used to visit them for their Turkish ice-cream – the good ‘ol ones where the ice-cream server will tease and taunt you before giving you the ice-cream. These days I crave meats…so I tend to order their shish kebabs or lahmacuns instead.  Lahmacun is simply known as Turkish pizza. It is often sprinkled with lemon juice, and then served rolled up with pickles and other vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and onions. This thin-crust version you see above is Anatolia’s Beef Lahmacun ($3.50) [***.] with minced beef, tomatoes, onions, cabbage and peppers. I like how the zesty lemon balances the strong taste of beef, and the vegetables, making this a very light meal.

Created to suit German taste buds by the Turkish, Doner kebab are typically served as sandwiches in a small pide (Turkish pita bread) accompanied by salad greens. Anatolia’s Beef Doner Sandwich ($7.50) [***] is pictured above in a wrapper. I found the pide too dry for my liking. Perhaps it lacked more sauce to go with the sandwich. The doner kebab itself was satisfactory. Personally, I prefer Sultan Kebab’s meats. There’s something about the way Anatolia’s meats are grilled that doesn’t quite match up to Sultan Kebab’s. I guess you’ll have to try it for yourself to tell the difference. If you’ve got space, you should try Anatolia’s Iskender kebabs - which consists of grilled lamb drizzled with tomato sauce, over pieces of pide bread, and slathered with yoghurt.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6339 3740

Address:
14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza, #02-58/59

Opening hours:
10 am – 10 pm daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Orchard

Food Addict Cafe | now defunct

Food Addict Cafe

Food Addict Cafe first joined the Toa Payoh Central neighbourhood in 2007. They are situated along a row of shophouses facing the library, next to a florist. I’ve tried their desserts some time back, but yesterday was the first time I tried their food. B and I were there for his belated birthday lunch, so we decided to get their cake set (+$6) in addition to our main courses. For an additional $6, you’ll get any slice of cake on the menu or that’s on display, plus a drink.

When we were going through the appetisers, Little Miss Toadstool ($5) stood out, but it was a pity that they sold out. Since it’s highly recommended by B, I’ll try it another day. B decided on one of Food Addict’s popular mains – Hot Chix ($9) [***.], a blueberry soda, and Dark Chocolate Cake [***] for his lunch. After much deliberation (I was torn between fish, spaghetti pesto and prawn aglio olio), I settled for the Prawn Aglio Olio ($8.50) [***]- mainly because B wanted my opinion on how good it was. For my choice of cake and drink, I had a strawberry soda and Mango Mousse Cake [***.]. I must say it’s tough picking a cake when you’re faced with a revolving display like the one you’re looking at now.

Hot Chix

After a relatively short wait, Hot Chix arrived first. The piping hot oven-baked chicken breast smelled really good. The flesh was tender and juicy with minimal oil. After a few morsels of B’s chicken, I established somewhat that the marinade had a light teriyaki tinge to it. Hot Chix makes a hearty, healthy meal I’d say.

I must also commend Food Addict for their wonderful service. The waiters were very attentive, topping up our glasses of water frequently, and were pretty helpful in their dessert recommendations. It’s a small place so their staff recognise regulars like B.

Prawn Aglio Olio

My Prawn Aglio Olio came shortly after, so the wait wasn’t long at all. Presentation-wise, I felt that the pasta could’ve been tossed better. But I’ve learnt from experience not to judge a dish by its looks, so I picked up my fork, twirled it, and took my first bite.

The first thing I tasted was the tabasco sauce, followed by the olive oil. Food Addict’s version has onions, garlic, chillis, mushrooms, and prawns. Do ask them to adjust the spiciness of the dish, because aglio olio typically has chilli flakes or cut chilli added to it. I asked for mine to be slightly spicier, so there were chilli seeds aplenty. The aglio olio would’ve tasted better with a little more garlic, but the overall taste was flavourful. I’m difficult to please when it comes to this particular pasta simply because it’s my favourite. They did nail the al dente portion though, so kudos for that.

Mango Mousse Cake

Food Addict’s desserts are value-for-money and utterly scrumptious. I love their mudpies that come oozing with sinful chocolate sauce, vanilla ice-cream and chocolate chips. The Mango Mousse Cake is very light, with a great sponge cake base, mango filling and mango jelly layer. Perfect after a filling meal. Their Dark Chocolate Cake is worth a try too.

/ No GST and Service Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] - rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel/Fax: +65 6259 4218

Address:
Blk 185 Toa Payoh Central, #01-324, Singapore 310185

Website: http://foodaddictcafe.blogspot.com

Email: addictedtoit@gmail.com

Opening hours:
Mondays: 12pm – 5pm
Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm – 10pm

Dress code: Casual
Buses: 238, 142, 31, 26, 8, 88, 159, 90…

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

Marvelous Cream

Marvelous Cream hails from Japan, and Singapore is one of the brand’s newest franchisees. They opened their doors on 3 July at CityLink Mall, offering 20% off their sweets. I stumbled upon this place through sheer luck on the way to dinner with B & Y at Franky’s Kaffe Kitchen. Just imagine how fast we finished dinner that night, and how much compartmentalisation was going on in our tummies. After all, the cardinal rule for those with the sweet tooth is: always leave room for dessert.

By the time we got there, the queue was starting to snake around a little as the opening was attracting more and more attention. Marvelous Cream’s french parfait selection looked incredibly enticing. It took all my willpower not to over-order. Before I proceed, parfait [pahr-FAY] is served differently in different countries:

1. In the US, this dessert consists of ice cream layered with flavored syrup or fruit and whipped cream. It’s often topped with whipped cream, nuts and sometimes a maraschino cherry.

2. A French parfait is a frozen custard dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, whipped cream and a flavoring such as fruit puree. In French, parfait means “perfect,” which is how many view this dessert.

You’ll be glad to know that Marvelous Cream serves both types of parfait. They’ve got 9 ice-cream flavours to choose from – White Milk Cream, European Cream Cheese, Belgium Chocolate, Fruity Mango, Hazelnuts Praline, Golden Vanilla, Natural Yoghurt, Strawberry Cream, and Marsala Espresso (less than 0.1% alc.). B decided to have the Rum Raisin Custard Pie [***] consisting of Golden Vanilla, Rum Raisin, Millefeuille and fresh cream, while Y had her tummy set on Noisette Chocolat Classic [***.] (Hazelnut Praline, brownie, fresh cream, Koo Belcher Choc).

Eagerly waiting in line, I changed my mind several times before I decided on Mix Berry Cream Cheesecake [***](European Cream Cheese, Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry).

After ordering, you’ll get to watch them mix your ice-cream on a -16°C marble top ala Cold Rock or Ice Cream Chefs.

I must say that of the 3 we shared, the Noisette Chocolat Classic was the best. While the brownie topping wasn’t fantastic, the combination of it and the other toppings made it a nice mix. It wasn’t too heavy, and the ice-cream was good. The Mix Berry one I had was pretty good too, but my main qualm with it is the frozen fruits. I prefer Cold Rock’s fresh berry toppings instead…frozen doesn’t work for me unless it’s in Yammi Yoghurt.

On your left we have their French parfait selection…I’ll definitely try these the next time I pop by on an emptier stomach. You can make your own selection of toppings and ice-creams, or go with 1 of their 28 selections for the American parfait. Choose from:

Junior (80ml) – $4.90

Regular (100ml) – $6.20

Large (180ml) – $8.80

Paper cup, waffle bowl/cone (+$1), chocolate waffle bowl/cone (+$1.50)

Shops in Japan: Tokyo | Yokohama | Osaka | Kobe | Nagoya | Hiroshima | Gifu | Ibaraki | Okinawa

++ definition of parfait taken from Epicurious.com Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

/ Update: I’ve tried one of their french parfaits, Exotic Patissier ($5.90) [****] and I found it really delish. Topped with raspberry bits, this parfait has a layer of chiffon cake, frozen mango custard, and berry fillings. I absolutely loved it. 

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6238 1683

Address:
#B1-04, CityLink Mall, One Raffles Link, Singapore 039393

Website: http://www.marvelouscream.com

Email: marvelous_asia@singnet.com.sg

Nearest MRT: City Hall

Oh Deli

Oh Deli was another gem I found at the Takashimaya Food Fest. They’ve been around for a number of years, and their first store is located at a shophouse on East Coast Road opposite Magarita’s restaurant. Run by five siblings, the Ohs put the “Oh” in Oh Deli. Their family business sources gourmet foods from various parts of Australia to import to our sunny isle. Meat is 1 of their specialities, especially with 2 family members based in Australia to manage the purchasing. The deli was sparked by the family’s passion for fine foods, and their store items just grew and grew over the years. 2 of the sisters personally find boutique producers and brands – think along the lines of preserves, wines, breads etc.

What intrigued me was their extensive range of products at the food fest. Oh Deli had a larger booth compared to their immediate neighbours, and the siblings put their central location to good use. Their gourmet meats counter was adjacent to their bottled range of products as shown here. What you can’t tell from the pictures is how 1 sister tended to the meats, and another engaged in friendly conversation with customers on the other side. Annie Oh was the sister I spoke to on Thursday. She was attending to the deli’s liquer selection. I decided to stop and take a look when I spotted a boutique selection of wines and liquers I’ve not seen before.

Annie elaborated that they purchase a number of artisanal wines and liquers from Magaret River, Western Australia. The bottles you see here are sold exclusively by Oh Deli, lending them an edge over mass-market brands from the popular wine region sold by other distributors.

While talking to Annie, I had the chance to taste Oh Deli’s strawberry liquer, strawberry port, sparkling strawberry wine, chocolate liquer, and a very light chardonnay (as pictured). All of which was pretty impressive I must say. If you like ice wines, you’ll love their strawberry range. I liked the chardonnay and strawberry liquer in particular – the former had a light, fruity finish that lingered on the palate. The latter was a light liquer that contained about 18% alc. and tasted wonderful on its own. While the strawberry port was a first for me, I’ve always preferred my ports to be more full-bodied, and this one was a tad too light for my liking. But nevertheless you should check out their strawberry range to decide for yourselves. As for the chocolate liquer, it’ll make a sinful treat to add to cocktails (chocolate martinis), cakes, or simply had on its own. Some specific examples of other kinds of products they bring in would be fine teas from Henry Langdon (a fifth-generation business).

I’ll definitely be back to buy their wines as gifts for my family.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – N.A.
Service – 8/10
Ambience – N. A.
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6440 4409

Address:
421 East Coast Road & soon-to-be Takashimaya Basement 2

Nearest MRT: Kembangan / Orchard

Victor’s Kitchen

Tucked away in the heart of Sunshine Plaza on Bencoolen Street, Victor’s Kitchen has garnered a loyal following over the years. That makes it almost seem like a crime on my part for not featuring them earlier….especially since I’ve been a loyal customer myself. Fans and fans-to-be of Victor’s Kitchen can rejoice, for their dim sum is tasting better each day. During my first few visits, I mentally noted that their har gao (prawn dumpling) filling was succulent and fresh, but the skin was just average taste-wise. However, I revisited them with A today for a farewell lunch of sorts and we ordered their King Prawn Har Gao ($3.50) [***.], Prawn Chee Cheong Fun ($3.80) [****], Fried Spring Rolls ($2) [**.], Chicken Rice ($3) [***], and Steamed Radish Cake ($3) [****.]. The wait was surprisingly short despite it being lunch hour (we were there around 1.15pm). We also discovered that they acquired another unit aside from their 2 adjoining ones (due to their expanding business no doubt), located somewhere to the left of their original unit pictured above.

The prawn chee cheong fun was the first to arrive, and after recently having some from my ultimate favourite Old Airport Road Food Centre stall, my tastebuds detected an improvement in Victor’s Kitchen’s chee cheong fun. Comparatively speaking, the one from Old Airport Road was superior in taste because of its silky smooth skin that is consistently steamed to perfection. That being said, Victor’s chee cheong fun is a close second in my book because of their sizeable and tasty prawn filling. 

The har gao was next with more succulent prawns and even better skin. If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a stickler for quality skin in all my dim sum. And Victor’s aces this portion for their har gao. Another one of my favourites is their steamed radish (carrot) cake pictured below. Soft, melt-in-the-mouth with dried shrimp, lup cheong (dried chinese sausage) and topped with spring onion, this dish tastes even better when paired with their fried chilli-garlic sauce-dip. Make sure you ask for this dip!
 

The fried spring rolls were simple, nothing spectacular…while the Chicken Rice could’ve been better I felt. It was a pity that they ran out of steamed pork ribs too. Although the majority of Victor’s dim sum is mouthwatering and value-for-money, I would suggest sticking to familiar favourites and leaving room for popular items like the Custard Egg Pau for dessert. With all the good dim sum that’s on the menu, I always run out of space before I get to dessert. Won’t happen again for sure. I’ve got my mind set on trying that custard egg pau I’ve heard rave reviews about.

 / No GST and Service Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 9838 2851

Address:
91 Bencoolen St, Sunshine Plaza, #01-21. (next to Prinsep Street)

Opening hours:
10am – 8pm daily
/ Closed Mondays

Dress code: Casual
Buses: 65, 857, 131, 147…

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut

/ image of victor’s kitchen taken from the hungry cow

Mummy’s Dim Sum

I’d like to applaud my mum’s valiant first attempt at making her very own dim sum. Armed with a newly-purchased book of dim sum recipes and 2 bamboo steamers, my mum battled the steam and splattering oil to come up with some yummy family favourites to pair with a pot of warm minced pork congee…

Panfried Beancurd Skin Roll with Mayonnaise: 1 of my favourites…thanks mum. Tasted suspiciously like her nghor hiam (nonya beancurd skin meat roll) because of her addition of water chestnuts. Crispy skin and great filling nonetheless.

Steamed Prawn Chee Cheong Fun: When this first popped out of the steamer, the skin was thin and translucent, and her generous prawn fillings were in plain view. Great effort mum. I’m certain your subsequent tries will succeed, and I’ll always be a willing ‘guinea pig’.

Steamed Har Gao (Prawn Dumpling): Aha, 1 of the 2 bamboo steamers makes its virgin appearance. The skins were a little thick on this dish, but the prawn fillings were yum. If you can’t already tell by now, prawns are practically a family staple.

Steamed Seaweed Pork Rolls: The second bamboo steamer was a pleasant surprise, and my favourite of the lot. Kudos to you mum for trying something different. The pork rolls retained a light juicyness from the steamed meat, and the combination of parsley, carrots and others made this dish a mouthwatering one.

Can’t wait for more dim sum! Who knows, I might try my hand at making some the next time my mum steps into the kitchen with her bamboo steamers…

An Ideal Breakfast.

I woke up this morning after having a really bad dream, and all I could think about was having a good breakfast. I started thinking about breakfasts from all over the world, because my tummy’s really imaginative…it gets this way when I’m really hungry. And so I’ve come up with the ideal breakfast for different people. Introducing…French breakfasts…

Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine: Benedict consists of buttered toast, poached eggs, bacon & Hollandaise sauce. Florentine includes spinach and Mornay sauce is occasionally used to substitute Hollandaise sauce. The Eggs Benedict you see below is from Choupinette.

Prata/Murtabak/Naan: Different Indian flour pancakes served plain with curry, or with meat or fish fillings. For awesome Naan (garlic or butter), head down to Khansama Tandoori Restaurant. Yassin Restaurant 786 over at 945 Serangoon Road (a short walk down from Boon Keng MRT) has fantastic Chicken Murtabaks that come in huge portions…their prata’s great too. 24-hr place. Famous prata-serving areas in Singapore include Thomson, Casuarina, Jalan Kayu, and Little India.

Roti John/Nasi Lemak: Roti John is baguette loaf topped with egg, minced meat, onion & tomato-chilli sauce, while Nasi Lemak consists of coconut rice with ikan bilis, vegetables, and meat. Both are Malay favourites and come in different variations. I’d recommend the Roti John at Serangoon Garden Market Shukor Stall. As for Nasi Lemak, try Changi Village, Bugis, Bedok, Far East Plaza, Geylang Serai…there’s plenty. And every machik (malay for auntie/aunty) serves up a different home-cooked version so it’s tough to decide.

Bee Hoon/Congee/Dim Sum/Chee Cheong Fun/Half-boiled Eggs: Bee Hoon with popular side dishes such as luncheon meat, fried egg, otah or otak-otak (Mackerel paste wrapped in banana/pandan leaves), meat, and vegerables can be found in many hawker centres, coffeeshops, and food courts in Singapore. It’s a popular breakfast among the Chinese, and comes in numerous oily variations – a filling guilty pleasure I must add. Congee, on the other hand, is a healthy Cantonese favourite that’s commonly served with dim sum. Maxwell Food Centre, Hong Lim Hawker Centre, People’s Park Hawker Centre and the other hawker centre next to Smith Street in Chinatown has reasonable to yummylicious congee. Maxwell in particular has 2 stalls competing for customers…and I’d suggest starting your search for congee here.

For affordable and droolworthy Dim Sum, check out Red Star (Blk 54 Chin Swee Rd, #07-23, Tel: 6532 5266 / 6532 5103) or Victor’s Kitchen (91 Bencoolen St, Sunshine Plaza, #01-21, Tel: 9838 2851). I’d say go early for Red Star…as early as possible if you can manage it. Chee Cheong Fun (heavenly steamed rice rolls with meat or seafood fillings) is easily top 5 on my favourite breakfast list. Tuck into the ones at Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun (Old Airport Road Food Centre, #01-155, 8am to 10pm daily), Shun Tuck Cheong Fun (People’s Park Cooked Food Centre, #01-1100), and Alexandra Village Hawker Centre.

Another local favourite that many a Singaporean loves in random kopitiams, hawker centres or chains like Ya Kun or Killiney Kopitiam is….Half-boiled Eggs! Simply drooled with dark soya sauce and pepper…this simple pleasure can cause your cholesterol to shoot sky-high if you don’t stop yourself from ordering seconds or thirds. But who cares? We only live once.

See? There’s more to life than a MacDonald’s breakfast. So get out there and have a good breakfast or brunch…be it savoury crepes, korean pancakes, bacon & eggs, or croissants…try something other than a Mc-anything.

Some images were taken from http://putri-berendam.blogspot.com

El Bulli scores a hat trick

At the S.Pelligrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant 2008 awards held at the Freemanson’s Hall in London last week (Newsource: Luxury Insider), El Bulli earned the distinguished top spot for the third year running. El Bulli is the infamous world no. 1 restaurant that is reputed to have reservations booked up to a year in advance -

El Bulli in Roses on the Mediterranean / Photo: Francesc Guillamet

Image: Hector Mediavilla / Polaris for TIME

the restaurant is closed from November to March each year for its team of chefs to experiment with molecular gastronomy to invent gastronomical creations to titillate the palate. The restaurant resides on the coast of Catalonia in Barcelona, and is well-known for their 30-course gourmet menu featuring some of chef & owner Ferran Adrià’s best creations.

Terraza / Photo: Francesc Guillamet

hello, stranger.

Welcome to Charlinary.com! 

YOU must be hungry at some unearthly hour, desperately planning a big date, supremely bored outta your wits, looking for your long-lost love, longing for a decent place to chill at, deprived of gastronomical satisfaction, thirsting for alcoholic concoctions, or in dire need of luxurious food therapy right now…so c’mon in, feast your eyes & satiate that appetite.

Strawberry Tofu Cake / Food For Thought

Basil Alcove

I have long heard of the modest and affordable food served by Basil Alcove - a tiny bistro facing the main road at Middle Road. And I decided to have dinner there with my parents recently. But to my disappointment, the service was awful. For a small eatery with about 12 tables max., 2-3 waiters on hand, and only 3 occupied tables, I sure expected better service from them. At times, a warm greeting and smile go a long way. Service aside, I shall introduce our dinner for the night. Their Soup of the Day, a Mushroom Soup ($4.50) [***.] was a creamy blend with a tinge of flavoured oil, topped with their signature basil leaf. I’d say it’s definitely worth ordering.

The Roasted Lamb Rack with Mango Chutney ($18.90) [***] had a great chutney and yoghurt with light tangy notes that complemented the lamb, but the lamb could’ve been better. The meat was a tad too dry for my liking, lacking a rush of juicy tenderness that I usually look out for with my meats.

Portions were decent with sides like tomatoes, french beans, mashed potato and basil leaves for accompaniment.

For pasta, the Shrimp Aglio Olio with Orange Basil Sauce ($10.50) [***] had an interesting fusion of tastes. The orange sauce was light and sweet, infusing the spaghetti with zesty burst of flavour. Shrimp lovers would love the generous servings of fresh shrimp (about 10 in total), but the down side was the overload of shredded cheese. For a simple pasta like aglio olio, less is more. Personally, the pasta would’ve been good enough on its own, and cheese should be optional.

/ all prices are nett.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7.5/10
Price – $$
Service – 5/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6336 1318 (call for reservations)

Address:
190 Middle Road, #01-07, Fortune Centre

Opening hours:
Lunch: 12.30-3.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm onwards
/Closed Mondays

Dress code: casual
Buses: 56, 133, 145…
Nearest MRT: Bugis

Hua Yi Kitchen

Hua Yi Kitchen at International Building is tucked away in a little corner on the 2nd floor next to Rice Table & opposite Coca Steamboat. For those in search of affordable Shanghainese cuisine, this would fit the bill. This place sells delicious hand-made noodles such as zha jiang mian, jiao zi, guo tie & many others. A colleague of mine was the one who discovered this little gem and introduced it to me.

I recommend their Beef brisket noodles ($4.50) [***.] available in soup/dry. The soup version has a clear beef broth with tender slices of beef brisket. Each slice was juicy and had little fats attached to it. Once you start on the soup, you will find that it grows on your tastebuds. The noodles are thick and non-chewy, but lack a smooth texture. Some would say that this is typical of hand-made noodles, so it could be just my opinion. Generous amounts of leafy greens can be found in this bowl, so rest assured that you will receive your daily serving.

While your at it, do order their Guo Tie – 8pcs ($5.80) [***] It is cooked the typical Shanghainese way where each piece is steamed & fried slightly on 1 side till it becomes a rich golden brown. Dip these in vinegar & plonk it in your mouth together with ginger slices…yums. Rest assured that Hua Yi Kitchen provides abundant amounts of both to complement your appetizer.

I haven’t had the chance to try anything else from this place yet, but I will definitely re-visit it. It’s a nice quiet spot away from the maddening crowd. Although the place is small, the food is decent & the lunch crowd tends to fluctuate rather unpredictably. So you might want to call them beforehand, or just drop by to try your luck.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6235 3156

Address:
360 Orchard Road
International Building (next to Shaw Centre aka Lido)
#02-11/12

Opening hours: 11.30am-3pm / 5.30pm-9.30pm daily

Dress code: casual
Buses: 174, 123, 7, 105, 36, 132, 77…

Sultan Kebab

Have you ever wondered what you should eat when you’re in a hurry? I bet you have. For the sake of maintaining the well-being of your tummy & tastebuds, I highly recommend that you avoid fastfood like the plague. Go for a healthier alternative instead, like Turkish sandwiches & meat rolls at Peace Centre.

Meet the brothers behind this Turkish takeaway joint: (from left) Suat and Safak

They hail from Antalya, Turkey, and have been living in Singapore for a year now. The brothers have made several trips to our sunny lil isle since 2001, and have since moved here to set up a food business with their uncle. Sultan Kebab was opened in June 2006. Their uncle Mehmet is an experienced chef, and the maker of their house sauce used in their dishes. Owner Safak spent 4 long months trying to find an ideal location, before discovering this lil corner at the edge of town. Some of the reasons why he picked this location include the proximity to offices, educational institutes and town. He disclosed that there are plans to set up another outlet once they find a good location.

Despite being small in size, Sultan Kebab’s space is effectively maximised with a sleek takeaway counter (complete with stools) for those who are on-the-go, and tables for dine-ins. The menu here consists of Turkish favourites like kebab rolls and iskender. Iskender is actually small cubes of bread with meat, yogurt & tomatoes topped with their secret-recipe sauce. Pick from a choice of chicken/beef -in a sandwich ($5.50), roll ($5.50) [*****], with rice ($7.50) or an iskender kebab.

Are you thinking that the menu is a tad too simple? Don’t be too quick to judge.
Their Beef sells out by 2-3 pm daily. Safak believes that it is better to focus on a simple menu, and have your food taste good. kudos to that. An interesting thing to note is how they prepare their meats. It takes
2 whole days to thaw & marinate their meats once their daily supply comes in. Yes, they prepare them on a daily basis. All this meat is then transferred onto skewers to be cooked & served by the kilos. 10 kilos worth of meat can feed an approx. 50-60 pax, according to Suat who adds that they offer a catering service on the side.

Personally, I loved their chicken roll (as seen below)..juicy morsels of tender chicken coupled with lots of lettuce, butter & that zesty secret-recipe.

image taken from www.chubbyhubby.net

I believe this place will go a looooong way with their good Turkish meats at affordable prices…so do drop by for a visit!

//all prices are nett. hooray to that!

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
1 Sophia Road, #01-15
Peace Centre
Singapore 228149

Tel: +65 6338 8750

Website: http://www.sultankebab.com.sg

Opening hours: Open daily from 11am till they sell-out
Dress code: casual
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
Buses: 65, 64, 857, 131, 139, 147…

El Patio Mexican Restaurant & Wine Bar

Most people would toss a coin to decide on where to go to eat, take a majority vote in a group or even be a dictator and not consult anyone. But not us. My boyfriend and I headed down to Holland V and took a walk around to see what appealed to our heightened senses (a result of the onslaught of hunger pangs). This is where we were faced with a dilemma: El Patio or Cha Cha Cha for mexican? In the end, rainbow-coloured table cloths, imported mexican handicrafts and a cosy air-conditioned dining area won the day. I present to you El Patio!

Before visiting El Patio I’ve heard about that mexican place in Singapore that serves frozen magaritas in jam jars. Little did I know that this was the place. Over here you can order Hot Mexican Favourites such as quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, nachos and fajitas – while you sip on salt-rimmed jam jars containing frozen magaritas ($48/jug, $12/gls). If magaritas aint your thing, they’ve got your staple mexican beers: Corona & San Miguel. They even have Chivas Magaritas & Jim Beam Magaritas for those who like whiskey concoctions. Ah yes, the friendly waiters will also serve you iced water and a bowl of plains nachos (with a salsa dip) that they will readily refill upon request. That’s the life.

I crave food for many reasons. Today, it was prawn fajitas (pronounced fa-hee-tas)that I so desperately craved for. But no, I didn’t give in…I managed to suppress that urge and I chose to order the house specialty Mexican Grill Fajitas ($24.50) [****] It is a combination of Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Salmon & Prawns…cooked with white wine, a drizzle of tequila, onions and spices on a hot plate. Trust me, order this & you won’t regret it. Juicy morsels of meat accompanied by tortilla wraps, sour cream & guacamole & “mutant” green chillis. Throw in a smattering of nachos+salsa. Mmmmmmm…bliss.

After selecting the fajita, we decided that we wanted something other than the usual burritos and nachos..and so we ordered the Beef Enchiladas ($12.50) [****]. This dish was served with a bean paste on the side, lettuce, “mutant” green chillis and the enchiladas filled with minced beef, topped with oodles of cheese. The minced beef wasn’t the typical kind you’d find in the supermarket mind you, it was minced chunks of beef marinated in their house recipe. Great homemade tortilla wrap as well – better than Cafe Iguana’s I’d say.

Other house specialities include – the Chicken Fajita ($20.50), served with peppers, onions & guacamole. Cheese Quesadillas ($12.50), with jalapenos, onion & tomato in a flour tortilla.

This place has my thumbs up.

//prices stated not inclusive of +++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6468 1520

Address:
Holland Village
34 Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277691

Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 5pm-11pm // Sat+Sun: 11am-11pm
Dress code: casual
Buses: 61, 48, 106, 75, 200

Delicacy Food Centre

You must be wondering where/what this place is huh? Well it’s my favourite claypot beef rice stall! Besides beef rice, they serve up pretty good zhi char too. The place is run by a Cantonese chef & mostly Cantonese crew too as far as I can tell. How do I know this you may ask? He speaks fluent Cantonese with that familiar Hong Kong twang, and his beef rice is drowned in egg gravy – a tell-tale cooking trait of a Cantonese chef because they love soupy-gravy stuff. Yums.

For the longest time – 4 yrs to be precise, I’ve been a blur sotong of a customer who ate at his stall with blind loyalty without knowing its name. I discovered their name only after they wisely invented a laminated ‘quick menu’ that was conveniently placed on my table. For what it’s worth, I must say I’ve brought him many customers along the way who inevitably fell in love with his gravy-licious dishes & SUPERB clear soups. Go ahead & sample everything on the menu! Soups are priced at $1/bowl.

Claypot Beef Rice ($4) [****.]

I dare say I can count AT LEAST 5 friends of mine who are fans of the stall’s cantonese fare. Although the place is rather small, there’s always a long queue of people at lunchtime waiting to da-bao his caifan. He only starts cooking zhi char from approx. 1.30pm, after the lunch frenzy dies down. They close early at about 7pm thereabouts.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10 (it’s a coffeeshop stall or sorts, dont have high hopes)
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: (65) 6732 4892

Address:
Far East Plaza, #05-99

Opening hours: 11am-7pm on most days
Dress code: casual
Buses: 143, 124, 167, 54, 190, 132, 171, 162..
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT station

The French Stall

That night, I had an early Christmas dinner at The French Stall with my family. It’s located off Serangoon Road after Little India, diagonally opposite the Indian Temple, along North Sturdee Rd. If you look to your right while travelling along the main road, you can’t miss it. I’ve long heard about how their french food is good & affordable, so I was pretty psyched about going there. But before that, my parents had to rub salt to wound about the fact that they visited the place before me. ha.

Anyways a friendly waitress gave us her utmost attention all night. For starters she recommended that we try their French Onion Soup ($3.80) [****] – sweet stuff and their escargot.

Escargot with garlic & butter ($8) [****] It was served in portions of a half dozen. The musky-grainy taste of improperly-cleaned escargot was thankfully absent. After passing my initial taste test, I proceeded to dip each morsel into their killer garlic-butter-olive oil-parsley combination…and it was gooood. I’d say Be adventurous! give this a try. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. Banish the thought that snails are disgusting cos these aint garden snails, they’re totally safe for consumption.

Introducing…the Mains.

Roast Duck Leg with orange sauce & risotto ($15.80) [****] Ooh..where do I begin? Let’s just say I couldn’t quit nibbling off my mum’s plate (this was hers). The duck was crisp & well-roasted, and the tangy orange sauce lent a sweet taste tht complemented the savoury duck well. Risotto was a good choice because it balanced the salty taste of the duck. (Risotto is the European version of our ‘mui fan‘)

Veal Shank ‘Marengo’ style with french beans & carrots ($14.80) [****.] This was my pick for mains. I had a preconceived notion that it’ll look like grilled veal with a french sauce. But it turned out to be a Drool-worthy stew with tender chunks of veal. In fact, ‘Marengo‘ refers to a veal/chicken dish in which the meat is sautéed in olive oil, then braised with tomatoes, onions, olives, garlic, white wine or brandy and seasonings. Sometimes scrambled eggs accompany the dish. It’s said to have been created by Napoleon’s chef after the 1800 Battle of Marengo. Don’t underestimate this seemingly small portion of veal, it’s very filling!

Beef Fondue for 2 ($15.80/pax) [***.] What you see here is called Fondue bourguignonne, whereby cubes of raw beef are cooked in a pot of hot oil, then dipped into various savory sauces. The oil in the pot is olive oil. Perfectly healthy. We were given lil skewers to cook the marinated beef, potatoes, onions & carrots. The entire set is accompanied by 3 sauces that tasted remotely like Thousand Island, French sauce & something I couldn’t place. There’ll be a gas canister under the table and the oil is preheated so that cooking can be done without the fire later on. This dish does sound expensive, but who’s stopping 3 or more people from sharing? hee. It’ll be lots of fun I promise.

Grilled Lamb Chop with eggplant & tomato ($15.80) [****] Great grilled lamb. ‘Nuff said. All you carnivores out there, look no further…order this!

Others not mentioned include their Tagliatelle with ceps & black trompettes sauce ($10.80), suitable for those who desperately need to curb the tummy’s call for carbs. It’s a cream-based pasta just so you know..I wouldn’t want someone who is lactose intolerant to be trying this..

Guanaja Chocolate Souffle ($5.80): AWESOME Dessert in 3 words. A close competitor would be the Profiteroles. They’ve also got other desserts like Tiramisu and a dessert tht tastes like crème brûlée.

//Prices not inclusive of Svc charge & cess. No GST

++All definitions were taken from http://www.epicurious.com
© Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$ (I’d call this VERY affordable French food)
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6.5/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: (65) 6299 3544

Address:
544 Serangoon Road (next to Kerrisdale Condo)
Singapore 218166

Website: http://www.thefrenchstall.com.sg

Opening hours: 3pm-6pm (Desserts only) / 6pm-10pm (Dinner only)
Dress code: casual
Buses: 21, 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 125, 130, 139, 147, 857
MRT: Farrer Park (NEL), Exit G.

Hooked! (moved to Upp Thomson)

Last Monday I had dinner at Hooked! at The Rail Mall in Upper Bukit Timah Rd. For those of you who don’t have a clue about what this place looks like, don’t worry…look below. I’ve been wanting to visit this place for quite some time..glad I finally got the chance.

Please remember that Hooked! is in the next building tht looks similar to this one..walk in the direction of the bus stop you see in the picture above. I took this whilst standing on the overhead bridge.

What you see here is their entrance and the interior of the place..nice cheery feel. Puts you in the mood for fish I felt haha. That day we had the intention of trying out Rocky’s Pizza next door..but decided against it because we liked the way Hooked! looked. Rocky’s paled in comparison with a very dull appearance..but I do intend to visit them sometime in the near future. Heard their pizza is great.

While I poured through their brightly-coloured menu peppered with interesting facts about fish, their Panfried Linguine with Mackerel Otah ($9.50) [****] screamed “Pick Me!” So how could I resist right? The dish was served with my favourite tri-coloured peppers, mushrooms and a wonderful homemade mackerel otah. The linguine was done aglio olio, with just the right amount of olive oil. I ordered a Value Top-up ($3.60) with this. It includes a soft drink and soup-of-the-day. I must say that otah coupled with aglio olio linguine tasted really good..those who can’t take chilli & spice might find this dish a tad spicy.

My boyfriend had a Value Top-up as well together with the Panfried Fish Fillet ($7.90) [***.] which was a Tilapia fillet dressed with butter, peppercorn & basil leaves and linguine & steamed veg on the side. Be forewarned, the fillet had a fair bit of bones. The skin was nicely panfried, but a lil too oily for my liking..I had to pat dry the oil before trying it. Just so you know, you can opt to add herbed potatoes ($0.80) as a side. It was a generous portion which complemented our main course well. It was a pity that we didn’t order their appetiser specialty Otah Toast ($4.80). We were too stuffed…the meal was value-for-money. Hooked! also has daily promotions (2.30-5.30pm), so check out their board while you’re there. If my memory serves correct…it’s 1-for-1 Fish & Chips on Thursday. For Fridays it’s 1-for-1 pasta!

//Prices are subjected to GST, no svc charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 5/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6765 5336
Address: 390 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, The Rail Mall

Opening hours: 12pm-10pm daily except Tuesday.

Getting there: Buses 171, 170, 67, 75

The Kokon Tozai Café (relocated)

*FYI - Kokon Tozai Cafe has relocated to:

The Singapore Flyer, #02-05
Tel: (65) 6337 8783
Opening hours: 10.00am – 10.00pm (Weekdays) / 10.00am – 10.30pm (Sat & Eve of Public Holidays)

Do note that the menu has been revised.

I was roaming Far East Square on my own on Wednesday while waiting for him to settle some things…when I stumbled on this lil café tucked away in an obscure corner behind Spinelli’s. The Kokon Tozai Café serves up homemade French & Japanese food, Italian coffee & 100% Japanese green tea. If the name mysteriously rings a bell..you must’ve seen them at Raffles City, City Link or Changi Airport T2. They’re the café spin-off of the shop that sells kimono fabric products at these locations. Kokon Tozai means Past & Present // East & West in Japanese…thus explaining why they serve 2 types of cuisine. Inside the café you’ll also find their products up for sale if you’re interested. I visited the place during their High Tea.

Here’s their High Tea specials:

Set 1 ($4.90): Scone + Illy coffee (long black)/Japanese tea
Set 2 ($4.90): 2 slices of toast w/homemade jam + Illy coffee/tea
Set 3 ($6.90): Pantry + Illy coffee/Japanese tea
Set 4 ($9.80): Sandwich + Illy coffee/Japanese tea

Simply because the first thing I saw when I walked into the café was their display of delightful desserts…I couldn’t resist ordering from that selection. So I settled for Set 3, which means I got to pick from that very display any dessert I want + the coffee/tea. Their Berry Numi (Organic) Tea ($3.50) was great. It’s better bargain if you order their set instead of ala-carte.

Introducing…their Raspberry Chocolate Moelleux ($4.90) [****.], the dark chocolate wonder with a smooth raspberry filling, accompanying icing & chocolate topping. If you’ve got a penchant for chocolate, but dislike uber-sweet choc, pick this. For everything else, try out their Walnut Brownie or Flourless Chocolate [****].

//All prices are nett.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food (dessert) – 8/10
Price – $ to $$$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6220 1672
Address:
52 Pekin Street #01-01,
Far East Square
Singapore 048782

Opening hours: 10am-10pm
Breakfast // 10am-11.30am
High Tea // 2.30pm-6pm

//They’ve got Lunch & Dinner specials too
Happy Hour 5pm-8pm: Bottled beer, wine by the gls, small bottle of sake & finger bites at $7 nett each

Dress code: casual
Getting there: Take 166 from the side of Boat Quay & alight after 2 stops, or walk over from Raffles Place MRT. Far East Square is next to China Square.

The Naked Fish Shoppe

For those of you who are fish lovers, I would recommend The Naked Fish Shoppe at the Grassroots Club next to Yio Chu Kang MRT station for their wide selection of fish – Halibut, Shark, Barramundi, Ocean Perch, Cat Fish, Flounder and Trout. Aside from these they also have your staple Snapper, Norwegian Salmon & Dory which are more common. All of the above are affordably priced from $9.90 to $18.00. Club members are given 10% off their total bill & PAssion card members get a complimentary Scallops Mornay with any order of a main course priced at $9.90 or more.

Do visit the place on Fridays for lunch because their Set Lunches are value-for-money: Soup-of-the-day, Main course, Set Dessert, Coffee/Tea. I know this all sounds like your standard set lunch, but don’t underestimate what they’ve got to offer. I’ve tried their Shark Fillet with Sambal & Seasonal Vegetables ($12.50++) [****], and I must say, I was impressed. Before my meal arrived, I was already getting increasingly concerned about how it’d turn out to be. After all, sharks aint the friendliest marine life around & their meat has always been tough to cook AND eat. It’s funny how that does not seem to be the case for sharks when it comes to us.

The shark fillet was surprisingly tender and the edges of the fillet was crisp from a light egg batter. The fillet wasn’t drowned in the batter, which was a good thing I felt, because shark meat tastes better when it’s not over done. Their seasonal vegetables consisted of leafy greens, carrots and thinly-sliced potatoes in a light sauce that complemented the fish. The sambal wasn’t the belachan-type with dried prawn paste and chilli padi, but the taste was good enough and it wasn’t too sweet. Some sambal pastes tend to be sugar-loaded, to the extent where it’s way too sweet for chilli and the intended spiciness is overpowered by it. This wasn’t the case, not to worry.

Another main course that a friend ordered was their Australian Whole Flounder [***.], pan-fried with butter sauce & a slice of lemon.
A word of warning though:
Don’t try it if you’re lazy to remove the bones. This one has many bones, but you know how it is with fish – the more bones it has, the sweeter its flesh. Initially it looked a tad too charred, but after the first morsel, my friend proclaimed it safe for consumption. Remember, looks can be deceiving..especially when it comes to food.

//They also have student set lunches priced from $6.80++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 6.5/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Tel: (65) 6457 8223

Address:
The Grassroots’ Club, (next to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station)
190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, #01-02
Singapore 568046

Website:
http://www.thenakedfishshoppe.com.sg

Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily
Dress code: casual

Disclaimer: Image of food taken from The Naked Fish Shoppe’s website