Scrumptious Tasty Food

Black Angus

2007-11-23T12:07:00.001+08:00

I unknowingly agreed to go to a farewell/cum welcome lunch without the main actress inside (the person leaving). And to such an expensive place - Black Angus!

The food is terrible, the service mediocre and the ambience zilch at the One Fullerton branch. Now Black Angus is supposed to to be famous for its steak though I did not try steak, I looked at my boss' steak and was totally disgusted. It's just ordinary.

The salad was not fresh as they had the cheek to serve us several yellowed vegetables with less than five miserable croutons...

I ordered the turkey, avocado, bacon sandwich but felt totally let down. It's just a normal sandwich with normal fries and horrible salad. Cost me $21!!! Goodness... It's robbery. I could have gone to Swensen's for a better meal lo or some other places for steak. Argh. Just cos no pork, no lard was required but I am sure there are nicer places than Black Angus. EEEeeee....

Really got bitter aftertaste in my mouth. And if I knew the main actress wasn't going, I wouldn't have gone after all. Blah.

Sucky fish soup at PS

2007-08-25T19:57:00.000+08:00

I ate at the Kopitiam foodcourt recently at Plaza Singapura & it was not satifsying at all. Chose fried fish soup with milk from "Chen Rong Fish Soup" as I heard from a friend that it is good.

However it was a big let-down! The soup was laden with MSG & the fried fish pieces (though generous portions of fish) tasted too strongly of bicarbonate soda. Although bicarbonate sode is commonly used in cooking to tenderize meats but fish?! In any case, there was too much of it added inside such that I ate a few pieces and left the rest untouched. I felt like bringing back the bowl to tell them that it tasted horrible. Anyway this chain of food stalls is run by Chinese migrants and workers. Don't like and not a good first impression. Don't know why STOMP can write such a good review!
http://www.stomp.com.sg/stfoodiesclub/hawkerfare/57/index.html

In any case, I have come to the conclusion that food sold in foodcourt sucks, especially Kopitiam. Besides being expensive, hawkers in Singapore take alot of shortcuts when it comes to preparing food. I understand if some MSG is used but to substitute a good natural broth (eg boiled for long hours with fish bones, yellow beans or pig bones or ikan bilis) entirely with MSG is horrible. Perhaps my tastebuds are more particular, as I can really taste MSG in soups or foods. In addition, I must have fresh ingredients in my meals. I hate it when hawkers are lazy and used frozen meat or overnight ingredients. I can taste frozen meat or overnight ingredients, you know!

How I wish hawkers in Singapore take as much pride in serving fresh good food like Japanese do. Sigh.

Hong Kong Tea House

2007-07-02T16:16:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times just ran a feature on HK “cha chan teng” in Singapore and I totally agree that this fad has proliferated our tiny island. However, nothing tastes quite like the original ones in HK (of course the prices too – more expensive in Singapore).

Recently I decided to visit this “Old Hong Kong Tea House” at Katong or rather it is situated at the old Joo Chiat Police Station. The premise is much bigger compared to HK Café at East Coast Road but I did not like the ambience or decoration. Too sparse and empty and the aircon was blasting away. The posters of 80s era artistes were too small to warrant attention. It is also more expensive compared to HK Café for the quality.

We ordered oven-baked chicken spaghetti and dumpling la mian but the food was very disappointing. As you can see from the pictures, the dishes looked quite plain and uninviting. The taste was even more ordinary. The dumpling la mian was bland and the baked spaghetti was too cheesy. The flavours tasted quite artificial. So quite a bad experience. Somehow the Japanese Restaurant (Waruku) felt more appetizing.

Al Fungi

2007-06-05T17:10:00.000+08:00

- Delifrance's new pasta dish

I love pasta and was just craving for it when I passed by Delifrance for lunch. Hence I decided to try their new menu of interesting pastas! There is creamy salmon pasta, al fungi, aligio olio, just to name a few. I was really very tempted to have the creamy pasta but decided to try al fungi as a healthier version, or so I thought.

Anyway the pasta dish “al fungi” may sound weird (fungi = mushrooms/ plants that eat rotting food, sorry to gross you out) but the food is really tasty! “Al fungi” is a mushroom spaghetti dish mixed with olive oil and silvers of red, green and yellow peppers. I couldn’t quite make out the condiments though I think there is some fried garlic and salt which gives it much flavour. I found the “al fungi” dish slightly oily but it was irresistibly delicious such that I finished the whole plate!

Thereafter, I relaxed with a hot refreshing cup of tea (albeit Lipton tea) and instantly felt as if I was sitting in a sidewalk café people watching. France? Hah. Sometimes I think too much. Tsk, tsk, the after effects of eating too much good food.

By the way, you can add on certain side dishes like a cup of tea, soup or standard dessert for only $1 each! Very worth it!!

Hanabi Japanese Restaurant (Odeon Towers)

2007-05-28T17:07:00.000+08:00

Had a craving for Japanese food and sashimi and thus I scooted off with my family to Hanabi Japanese Restaurant at Odeon Towers to fix my gnawing need. When a girl has a craving, she definitely has to curb it or give in to it! Sashimi. Tempura. Chawanmushi. Wasabi. Yummy! Drool drool drool.

We reached there about lunch time on a Sunday and the place was empty. Maybe the crowd has not come in, I thought, as the restaurant only opened at 11.30am. Anyway Hanabi is quite spacious and I like the Japanese-inspired fountain outside the restaurant. It feels good to dine amidst tranquil surroundings. There was even a standee displaying all the food available. It looked super delicious! Can’t wait!

The wait staff were quite helpful and willing to introduce you the food items and get you more food; a trait which I find lacking in many buffet restaurants here. Anyway the first dish we had was of course sashimi! The wasabi is wonderfully fresh and potent (not like those at Sakae Sushi) and the sashimi, especially the salmon and maguro (tuna) pieces were very good and fresh. They literally melted in my mouth. However I must state that there is one ugly act that this restaurant engages in. Only the first three dishes of sashimi were good, the quality of subsequent ones dropped. Either poorer quality sashimi (those that felt mushy when eaten) were mixed with better quality ones or we were served not-so-good sashimi. A big let-down.

The chawanmushi was delicious and hot and extremely light. You could taste the broth used to cook it too. Heavenly. The shisamo, chicken teriyaki, kimchi beef were average. The curry rice tasted like it came out of a packaged box as the curry was too powdery. In addition, the tempura did not have the quality of authentic Japanese places and we could not taste the tempura batter; it was pretty tasteless. We could not taste the sweetness of the tempura prawn or vegetables either. Other than that, the other dishes were just average. There's heresay that the Bukit Timah branch is better.

Well, I couldn’t help but compare it with Ikoi in Miramar. I think the food at Ikoi serves better quality Japanese food and the dishes come in small portions so you can have a variety of food without ill-treating your stomach! Speaking of which I think I may want to go Ikoi again!

Apologise for the lack of photos of food, was kind of concentrating on eating & forgot to take pictures till the last few morsels!!

Arirang Korean Restaurant

2007-04-06T22:36:00.000+08:00

Well, well, well. I know this blog has not been updated in a long long time and needs some contributions from its creator. Frankly speaking, I have been to many eating places but my computer was spoilt, I forgot to take pictures, I was too busy, etc, etc. Excuses.

Anyway, I popped over to Arirang recently for a Korean lunch as it is located near my office. The home-run place looks minimalistic, like you have just stepped into someone's dining room. However, the food is really good and authentic as it is cooked by 2 Korean ladies. I had presumed that the lady boss' husband worked in Singapore and the mother-in-law was helping her out. The lady boss was very friendly and spoke to us with a smattering of English and Korean. The cutlery and crockery used were Korean style too so I like the experience as it feels like you are in a small eatery in Korea.

Oh, a very good sign that I noticed at the eatery was that it is frequented by Koreans. The natives would know where the good food is!

My companion and I ordered 2 set lunches - the Korean bibimbap (or loosely translated as mixed rice) and the Beef Bulgogi set. Side dishes such as "ikan bilis", kimchi, pickles were served alongside.

The food is very delicious and though I am not a very big fan of Korean food (as I think some dishes are weird), I can feel the homecooked quality and the effort put into cooking. The lady boss even gave us some cold seaweed soup to drink and commented that it was good for our skin. Erm, good for the skin perhaps but it was cold soup and kind of sour, not exactly entertaining to our tastebuds. Nonetheless, it was kind of the boss to do so and it's really hospitable of her. In addition, we were served ginseng tea which is a refreshing drink to accompany the food. Supposedly good for your body too.

As for prices, the set lunch menu is really worth the money as 1 set cost less than $10 each. Next time when I go back, I will try the kimchi tofu soup with rice. This is my favourite. Yummy. Can't wait!

Arirang Korean Restaurant
Located @ 93 Amoy Street

Botak Jones!

2006-10-29T04:01:00.000+08:00

Craving for Billy Bombers and the like? Find it in the heartlands!

With a recently opened outlet in Clementi, Botak Jones operates from a food stall located in your neighbourhood kopitiam. It serves a wide array of western food from burgers to sausages, ribeye steaks, fish and chips and even dessert!

It is no ordinary kopitiam fare of course. The meat used is succulent and serving portion is sufficient to guarantee some satisfied burps. Pricing is reasonable, ranging from $5+ for a plate of fish and chips to around $7 for a Cajun Chicken burger.

Do watch out for the weekend crowd though. My friends and I went on a Sat and had to wait an hour for the food to arrive. To quote a staff, it was "worth the wait". Their staff are friendly and helpful; they even make rounds to ensure that their customers are happy with the food.

The Clementi outlet is located at:
Block 325 Clementi Ave 5 (Kopitiam) #01- 129 Singapore 120325

They have two other franchises at Tuas and AMK!
http://www.botakjones.com/

Thai Express

2006-09-28T15:52:00.000+08:00

I was having dinner at Thai Express at the Esplanade before attending a boring audio visual play. Thank goodness the food was better than the play! If you are craving for Thai food like those sold in Bangkok food courts, this is a good substitute.

My group of diners did not order Tom Yum soup but I am sure it is good as I could smell the aroma of the soup served to other diners. It smelt sour and the lemongrass was refreshing. If I did not have a weak stomach, I will definitely order it! Tom Yum soup with rice makes a very very yummy and satisfying dish.

I had the beef brew soup with glass stick noodles but it was quite ordinary. I like the thin glass noodles though and the soup was thick with beef stew taste. It would be heavenly with chilli powder but I couldn’t take chilli so I guess the taste was diminished somewhat. I disliked the strong taste of mint leaves added but other than that, it is a passable dish. I was really pissed off when my colleague stated that her husband order beef noodles when they dined at Thai Express previously and it sucked. I was incredulous at her insensitivity and she knew what all of us ordered as she had asked what we felt like having earlier on. Even if she feels it sucks, please keep quiet or say it before I ordered. Anyway the dish is palatable if you like beef stew.

My companions ordered the shrimp paste fried rice, the tofu mushrooms glass stick noodles in clear chicken soup broth (yes, what a name!) and the shrimp fried egg with plain rice. The rice dishes came with Thai chilli which would bring out the taste of the food while the tofu mushrooms looked rather bland. If you are looking for a Thai meal, head for the chilli and Tom Yum.

Also on the menu which we did not order were dishes like glutinous rice with mango, phad thai, etc. I will try the glutinous rice with mango next as it is a deliciously sweet dish for those with a sweet tooth. The glutinous rice is sweet while the mango is slightly sourish and it gives you two tastes in one mouth. Heavenly!

Thunder Tea Rice

2006-09-08T12:07:00.000+08:00

There is this Hakka stall at Amoy Street Food Centre that sells “Lei Cha Fan” or loosely translated into English as Thunder Tea Rice.

Apparently this name came about because Hakkas would grind the herbs and vegetables in olden times to make the tea and in doing so, the tools used made alot of noises. Hence the dish name. Sounds like a nice name, ya? Do not be taken in by a beautiful dish name!

Well, I tried it sometime this week and was bemused by the foreign and weird taste of the “tea soup” which is a murky lime green. Lei Cha Fan is very healthy and comes with many types of vegetables, including ground peanuts and of course, a bowl of tea which consists of tea leaves, mint, basil, ginger, Chinese parsley, etc.

At first I was put off by the greenish colour of the tea or soup or whatever but I heard from a friend that it is pretty delicious so I decided to throw caution to the wind and try it. Well, to my horrors of horrors, the tea soup was too minty for my taste. I only took one sip and left the big bowl of tea soup untouched. The rice and vegetables was average and tasted very very very healthy.

I took a look around the food centre and found many people eating this “Lei Cha Fan” and happily slurping the lime greenish tea soup and FINISHING the soup completely. Yucks. Is it really that nice?

Maybe an acquired taste is necessary but I think it’s not for me, no matter how healthy it is. Sad to say, my lunch was kind of ruined but “never try, never know”.

http://www.sbestfood.com/thundertearice.htm

Azabusabo @ Marina Sq (bad experience!)

2006-09-04T17:59:00.000+08:00

This is about a bad dining experience I had that made me determined to boycott this place and tell everyone to boycott it. Just like Sakae Sushi, which is on my boycott list too!

Ok, I visited this newly opened Japanese restaurant called “Azabusabo” at Marina Square one weekend. I was attracted by the samples of food on their display windows with lots of colourful desserts. That I say is a good marketing gimmick. However it is all fluff and no stuff – if you are looking for a good meal, I would say skip this. Desserts, you may try if you want to take the risks.

Basically, we ordered a sukiyaki bento and a shabu ramen. The ramen was average with two miserable pieces of pork! Also I think the sukiyaki bento was below average (I am trying to use objective words here). First of all the miso soup was cold and the rice/ beef in the bento container were only lukewarm. The beef was a tad too sweet and minuscule in portion. It certainly did not live up to our expectations based on the menu pictures.

Initially I thought that the service was good as they kept refilling our drinks and the food came pretty fast – I probably waited only 5 minutes. Perhaps the reason the food was cold was due to the fact that the bento was already prepared in advance? Whatever.

The conclusion is that the customer service sucks as I feedback to them that the bento was cold and all they could say was sorry. I felt bad to tell the poor waiter boy about it so I spoke to the manager but she made me infuriated. Not only did she try to pacify me, she implied that it was my fault for not sending the food back to the kitchen when we discovered it was cold. If I sent it back to the kitchen, can she guarantee that the chefs will not spit on it? Moreover, the onus is not on whether I sent the food back but on the effort put into preparation. I highlighted that to the manager but she could only say sorry.

Sigh. Customer service in Singapore, especially in retail and restaurants, is really horrible! The manager did not offer any discounts (not that I was looking for one), but she should at least given a free dessert or some voucher or something as service recovery. What’s worse was I spoke to her as I asked for the bill and she did not come back to me with the bill but instead went to take another customer’s order. Later another waitress came to with the bill. What’s this? Too afraid to come back to me and apologize? Where’s the ownership of handling a complaint case here? You mean just an apology can erase the bad experience I had there? And the manager had the guts to shout behind me when I left: “Thank you, see you again!” If there was more sincerity, she would have taken charge of everything and say “thank you” in front of me.

Azabusabo is located beside Billy Bombers on 2nd level of Marina Square. Let's see if it will survive for more than a year.

http://www.azabusabo.com.sg/index.htm

The Line @ Shangri-la Hotel

2006-05-13T03:17:00.000+08:00

16 food stations including the Crustacean Bar, the Italian Counter, the Grill, and the Ice Cream Teppenyaki among others. The Line will have you spoilt for choice.

Located at the lower lobby level of Shangri-la Hotel, The Line is an open-concept buffet joint which just opened last year. Lit by warm orange lighting, the overall ambience is cozy and relaxing and the service is good. Everytime you go off for your next round of food, the waiters will clear your plate and refold the napkin neatly on the table for you. So you can imagine how many times they actually had to do that throughout the night!

We tried almost everything from the tissue prata to the fresh scallops and grilled prawns, dim sum, sushi and crepes with fruit jams! The queue at the pasta station would not have deterred me from trying it, if not for my tummy protesting after being loaded with too much food. I was most attracted by the inviting display of the dessert table, with its wide array of tiramisu, cakes and pies.

As hotel prices go, this is not easy on the wallet but it is a great place to try out if you feel like giving yourself a really good treat!

The Dessert Station

Fig & Olive (Western food)

2006-04-28T17:35:00.000+08:00

I had lunch with colleagues at Fig & Olive café at CPF Building in Tanjong Pagar. The food was really great with Western and Mediterranean flavours. There are appetizers, creamy soups, chicken and fish main courses, pasta, sandwiches and cakes like brownies. I also heard that Fig & Olive offers healthy food with high nutritional value. The servings are quite big too.

We basically tried fish and criss cut chips, spaghetti bolognaise, salad and chicken avocado sandwiches. All of us were raving about the food, especially me. I was quite surprised that food that have no pork, no lard and cooked by minority chefs could be so delicious. I could taste the herbs such as oregano in my spaghetti bolognaise which is very true to its Western roots yet infused with a tinge of Mediterranean flavour. Amazingly, the spaghetti was al dente. In addition, the chef went easy on the oil for the spaghetti and the result was a light beefy taste.

Also the breaded fish and criss cut chips were adequately cooked, not undercooked or not too overcooked. What’s more, the breaded fish and criss cut chips had light herb seasoning which is slightly different from USA fish and chips that has thick batter.

Of course the chicken sandwich and salad is light and refreshing too. The prices here are similar to café prices, which means more expensive than hawker food but I think there is no GST or service charge (at least for the CPF building branch).

(There are branches at Clifford Centre and Somerset Bencoolen – see http://www.figolive.com/).

Ampang Yong Tau Foo

2006-04-25T16:07:00.000+08:00

A place worth visiting while you are in KL, Malaysia is Ampang. It is a only a short drive to the outskirts of KL. Every time I go to KL, I normally try to pop by for a bite and watch the staff at work, making the Ampang Yong Tau Foo.

It was about 11am on a Sunday when I went to Ampang for yong tau foo recently and it was packed despite the hot weather. And I thought I was early enough! Only go for the coffeeshop on the extreme right, which is also known as “Restoran Foong Foong”. This is the only yong tau foo place that has queues. It is so popular to the point that this restaurant hired people to direct the cars to park. Anyway, after waiting for about 10 minutes, my family and I finally got seats. My dad proceeded to order the usual – one plate of mixed yong tau foo in gravy (consists of toufu, fried toufu, lady fingers, brinjal, some fish cake like thingie, etc), the dumpling soup and fried dumplings. The food is served fresh and piping hot though the soup may be slightly too salty for my taste.

What’s famous is the really really good yong tau foo which are very big and handmade with real fish “glue”, unlike those artificial ones we get from the supermarkets – you can really taste the fish meat in it. In addition, the fried or soup dumplings are stuffed full of fish meat such that they are very fat and chewy. I can eat at least 5 fried and 5 soup dumplings at one go.Oh, there is of course the signature yong tau foo red sauce and chilli that is a must try condiment. Also the yong tau foo is normally served without rice on Sundays as the staff can’t cope with the number of orders.

All in all, a good and light meal!

antique and food

2006-04-16T17:27:00.000+08:00

mmm...found this great restaurant at Plaza Singapura with my uncle....it's called "electic Attic"...this restaurant is located on the 5th floor...quite easy to find as it's a shop....hahahaha! apparently, it has been highly recommended by Straits Time and CNA....although i have no recollection of it at all...

anyway, it's a shop cum a restaurant...this shop sells antique and unique stuffs from europe...sort of like a flea market..but the things are not exactly cheap..i saw a pair of shoes...quite nice..but it cost about 120 bucks...although it's not very expensive as it's the only pair to be found in singapore..but it doesnt really fit well...hahaha! there are many nice jewellery but quite expensive...basically, it's a good idea...while waiting for the food..you can shop around *grins*

the food is really nice...really exquisite and at an affordable price...although the choice is rather limited...there are only a few selections..but the starters and all are quite nice...i had foie gras...very fresh..the mushroom soup is damn thick and tasty...prawn cocktail is fresh and interesting..as for the main course..it's mostly fish and meat...very fresh...although the servings are rather small but it's enough...very exquisite food decoration and preparation...and one must try the desserts...they serve different cakes in small sizes and thus, one can actualy savor different cakes without feeling too guilty..hahahahaha and the cakes are really moist and soft...heavenly....

during the meal there...there were 5 of us...and it cost about 130 bucks...so it's about 26 bucks each..which i think it's rather affordable for the kind of food they serve...and the ambience was really cool..nice place to chill out and then nice things to see while waiting for the food to come...*smilez*

The Sandwich Shop

2006-03-24T16:39:00.000+08:00

My friend who’s also working in the CBD brought me to this sandwich place at Robinson Centre which is cosy and relaxing. It’s called “The Sandwich Shop”, the name may not be very innovative but the sandwiches are really very tasty. I was nursing some gastric problem but I could taste the flavour of my chicken wrap and was busy savouring all of it. And I actually finished the whole wrap.

Bascially, this place sells all kinds of sandwiches and wraps which are quite humongous. One sandwich or wrap is guaranteed to make you full. There are beef, salmon, chicken, vegetarian; all kinds of combinations such that it took me quite a while to make my choice. I felt like a child in a big candy store. Anyway you can also choose soups or other beverages to accompany your sandwich/ wrap.

My soup with the chicken wrap cost me about $10. Though it is a tad pricey for sandwiches/ wraps, the taste and size far makes up for the price. Last but not least, The Sandwich Shop also sells organic foodstuff like corn and chips.

Located at 61 Robinson Road, Robinson Centre #01-02 S(068893)

Marche Movenpick

2006-03-23T13:58:00.000+08:00

Marche Movenpick is a “restaurant in a market” and it boasts of fresh food that you can pick and the chef would cook it on the spot for you. Well, the food there is pretty good with selections from all over the world. I love the desserts there especially.

Basically when I go there, I would definitely order the Swiss Rosti, which consists of pan-fried potato strips. You can top it up with sausages or sour cream. I normally choose the sinfully tasty sour cream.

Another dish I would order is the Banana Crepes or Waffles with vanilla Ice Cream. This really fills the stomach and is sweet – well, of course, since it’s a dessert.

Ham and Cheese Crepes is also an interesting and delicious dish – 2 paper thin crepes are cooked with ham and cheese sprinkled on top. Once cooked, the crepes are “drowned” with a creamy sauce that gives it a wonderful taste.

The soups in Marche are really good if you like thick creamy soups. I tried the Mushroom Soup once and it's really really creamy with bits of real mushrooms in it. Topped with bread bits, it's really heavenly but you may want to share as one bowl is very filling.

Of course, there are a lot of meat dishes which would be a haven for carnivores. Ribeye steak, sirloin steak, chicken kebab, etc. Besides meat, seafood, pizzas and salads are available.

However, if you want to try a little of everything at Marche, it’s best to go in a group of four or more, so that a few different dishes can be ordered and shared. In that way, one will not stuff one’s stomach and overeat.

Annalakshmi - Indian

2006-02-18T11:01:00.000+08:00

A non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the joy of Indian culinary, visual and performing arts to one and all. Inspired by the Hindu concept for Abundance, Annalakshmi operates on the basis of "Eat as you Want, Pay as you Wish" where the guest decides not just what to order but also how much to pay.

Located on the second storey of Excelsior Hotel, Annalakshmi has operated for 20 years and is run by volunteers. It helps sustain the artistic and charitable activities of The Temple of Fine Arts organization. The contemporary indian decor of the restaurant helps add to the overall dining experience. I was told that the indian artefacts and artwork displayed are also for sale, if you fancy them.

Serving authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine, the food is laid out buffet style and you can go back for as many helpings as you want. But of course, you have to show your heartfelt appreciation at the end of the good meal.

A recommended experience for Indian food lovers!

Fish Soup Noodles - China Square

2006-02-12T18:42:00.000+08:00

Reading Amy's post reminded me of my internship stint at Telok Ayer. That stretch of road had a lot of good food actually, mostly frequented by the lunch crowd.

One of the good fish soup stalls we went to was at China Square foodcourt, just further down the road from the DBS Bank building.

The fish comes in fried/ boiled pieces, and you can order mee or rice along with it. Price is a reasonable foodcourt charge. If you are going there during lunch hour, be sure to reach early. The queue gets rather long closer to 12+ and I'm sure you will not want to have such a long wait.

Noodles Friend - Viet

2006-02-09T17:09:00.000+08:00

Met up with an ex-colleague at Telok Ayer Street for lunch at this place called “Noodle Friends”. Or at least I think that’s the name. It could be “Noodles & Friends” or Noodlesfriend”, I did not really look at the signboard but it only had these 2 words! Haha. Anyway, it’s a small café next to the Singapore Hokkien Association Building, opposite Thian Hock Kheng Temple, that sells Viet and Thai food.

The food’s great for an office worker’s lunch. It’s satisfying and they did not scrimp on the ingredients. I had Viet beef noodles ($5.90) or Pho Pho. The rice noodles, typical of Thai/ Viet thin glass rice noodles, is smooth and like no need $$ because the cook put so much in! The clear soup base was tasty enough for me to finish almost all of it but not feel tired of it.

I also had the Thai fishcake ($3 or $4) which really surprised me. Most Thai fishcakes I have eaten are full of gluten but this still had real “meat” inside. The Thai chilli was not too spicy and adds to the spicy and sweetness of the fishcake. Quite a nice side dish, comes in 5 pieces.

Restaurant name: Noodles Friends
Location:: Telok Ayer Street
Food: 4 out of 5
Ambience: Don’t know how to grade
Price: Cheap for a café
Service charge: None

porridge

2006-02-04T15:44:00.000+08:00

was talking to amy about porridge...and then it "inspired" me to write an entries about porridge..hahahahaha...i know of 2 places where they servce nice and not very expensive porridge...porridge as in teochew porridge...which means, white porridge and you order dishes to go with your porridge.... :)

(1) Oasis
near the singapore indoor stadium...there's this porridge restaurant called "Oasis"...not sure if this is the name..but my family goes by that name...anyway, this is quite an old restaurant..have been eating there since i was a kid....and i'm already 20+...well..basically, they serve porridge there... i think there's a roundabout in front of the stadium..and it's on the left of the stadium if one is facing the roundabout from the stadium...

customers have to pay a one-time charge for the porridge and it's free flow...you can order as much porridge as you want....the porridge has sweet potato in it...and am not sure how much..but i reckon it's around 5 bucks...it's the most tasty when it's piping hot...and you can ask for the more watery or gluey kind of porridge...

as for the dishes, basically they are chinese dishes - vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, etc...i think the oyster omelette is quite nice...the sambal kang kong also not bad...sweet and sour pork is quite alright...the sea hum is delicious...our family's favorite...and basically, there's a menu where you can choose from...normally, i'm not the one doing the ordering..and so i cannot tell exactly the range of variety..but from the sight of the food we and others ordered...i can say it's quite exhaustive...

pricing wise....not very expensive..but neither is it very cheap....hahahahaha...there's tea and wet towels too...and it can be quite crowded and i think it's 24 hours...because i remembered eating supper there at around 3am once.... :) not much decorations and everything seemed to be passed down from generations but definitely not unhygenic and dirty...dont expect fanciful decorations...everything's simple and all...

(2) Alishan Porridge

this is like a coffee shop kind of porridge...it's located along upper serangoon road..near serangoon jc...opposite serangoon jc....it cannot be missed as the signboard is rather big and bright...hahahaha..but if one is driving...quite difficult to find parking along the road..normally, my dad will park illegally...so do other drivers....

basicallly, it's almost the same as oasis...also free flow of porridge..but you would have to order from the waitress...and they will give you bowl by bowl...instead of giving you a tub and you just refill your bowl....

as for the dishes....there's no menu...basically, the food is right in front of you...as if you are buying "cai fan" from food court...so you just point and order your food..and then the food will be served to you shortly with the porridge... also, it's basically typical chinese home-cooked food...so dont expect to see exotic food like bear's paws, 3-head abalone, foi-gras etc....*laughs*

pricing wise, it's quite alright..not really very cheap..but affordable....ambience is like a normal coffee shop..hahaha..so nothing much...typical tables and chairs and toilets...nothing much to expect..just think "coffeeshop"

ooh, there are 2 stores selling porridge along this road...be careful and not go to the wrong store..as the other store is more expensive and the food is not as nice....the correct one is nearer to maybank and the wrong one is nearer to a road junction....

so if one is looking for something light but yet tasty..i think eating porridge will be a good choice... *smilez*

ikoi restaurant

2006-01-23T00:23:00.000+08:00

i think this is a very very famous japanese resturant...Ikoi Restaurant is a japanese restaurant...located at miramir hotel..which is near MS road...:) basically this restaurant offers good japnese food at affordable prices...

basically, it's ala-carte buffet at 35 bucks for dinner..one can order sashimis, sushis, tempura, udon, sobas, chawanmushi, blah blah...and it's free flow because it's buffet..and i must say..the food is really great and the sashimis are really really really fresh...and the serving is rather big....and they have nice complimentary soup and free-flow of green tea..in conclusion, the food is really good....:)

ambience and decoration is normal..nothing much...very much like a japanese restaurant..hahahaha..there's counter seat, there's table seat..doesnt really matter where you sit as it's al-carte buffet style..you give your orders to the waitresses...

however, it's necessary to make reservations as this restaurant is pretty popular and it's always full...number i dont have as it's always my friend who make the reservations..hahahaha...sorry...

gan lou men in hawker centres

2005-12-28T17:08:00.000+08:00

This is not about food. This is a complaint about the “gan lou men” or “gahmen”.

Why renovate/ upgrade the hawker centres?? If renovate then don’t give us the same décor/ theme for many hawker centres lah!! Something needs to be done about the architect/ interior design schools in Singapore…

Have you ever wondered why Adam Road Hawker Ctr, Bedok Corner, East Coast Food Village (just to name a few) all look alike? All the same with bad ventilation and wooden tables and chairs that are not durable nor easy to clean. I went to Adam Road and Bedok Corner and they look EXACTLY the same… the food tables are in the middle followed by the stalls in 1 circle and with lots of fans. Waste electricity!

Come on, use your brains!!! Would diners want to sit in the centre and all the food stalls cooking with all the smoke blowing onto them? Really dumb, these planners. I know it may save space but can these planners just renovate the hawker centre and put in new melanine furniture that looks like the old ones and keep the layout the same??? Now Newton hawker centre is being renovated. I wonder if it will be the same with those wood tables and chairs. I prefer the messy-ness and breezy-ness of the old. There’s no need to renovate!! Just change new furniture.

Now we have hawker centres of the same mould. Where’s the authencity? Where’s the uniqueness? Really no-brainers. NO BRAINS…

"Morning rays" Nasi Padang

2005-12-27T22:25:00.000+08:00

SINAR PAGI NASI PADANG
13 Circular Road

Sinar Pagi, as translated by my malay friend, literally means Morning rays.

I'm not usually a lover of malay food, but this stall is simply too good to pass on. Located at Circular road, it is a short walk from Clarke Quay MRT station. I first chanced upon it during lunch one day and my colleague heartily recommended it. We instantly recognised it with its signature lunchtime long queues and what struck me as impressive was that their shopfront actually spreads out over 3 floors, in a shophouse format. Their 3rd storey is decorated such that it could become a makeshift malay wedding setting, with some drums and band instruments at the back of the room. Innovative!

As with normal nasi padang stores, it offers a variety of dishes from different kinds of ayam, beef and fish to vegetables. The popular dishes include beef rendang ($3), dendeng balado or marinated fried beef ($3) and barbecued chicken ($3 to $5). I liked the bbq fish though. You can also ask for the 3 types of chilli they offer.

I simply loved their tahu telor! It was rather big by my standards (can't compare with other tahus as it was my 1st time) and topped with crunched peanuts. Once we scooped it into our mouths, all of us went Mmm...mmm. Melt-in-the-mouth warm kind of sensation, yum!

Though its price is a little heftier than usual, I would say it's worth it if you are craving for nasi padang.

P.s. I heard that there's another famous nasi padang stall at River Valley area. Go try that too!

Manna Restaurant

2005-12-26T17:44:00.000+08:00

Manna Restaurant...this is a korean restaurant...located at telok ayer street...i think..not very sure what street is that..but it's somewhere near china square...in that vicinity...quite easily located..it's along the road..i think along the road of tian hock xxxxx temple..the very famous temple....*laughs* anyway, have been to that restaurant several times....been there with my family....and recently had lunch there....

frankly speaking, am not a very big fan of korean food...because basically, i dont watch korean drama and so no matter how big the "da chang jin" is...i am still not interested..hahahaha....but the food at this restaurant is nice....very nicely done....for this restaurant, their ice tea is very unique and thirst-quenching..and they provide a jug for you when customers arrive and i think it's a fabulous idea as it saves the waitresses trouble of refilling the cups over and over again....

there are a few side dishes which they changes daily....because for the several times that i have been there, i have never taken the same selection of side dishes before...except for the kimchi..which is very typical of korean food...these side dishes are free and it's free-flow as well....on the main dishes...basically, i realize that koreans eat a lot of meat...they have the bbq meat...which you orderd like different types...and then you can cook them over the stove or whatever you call it....i think if i'm not wrong, it's about 50 plus for 1 set of meat and it can feed many people...if not, there are some different sets of rice or noodles to choose from....which is quite alright..and they have set lunches that cost 10 bucks and it includes the free-flow of ice tea and side dishes...to me, the variety is not much as most of them are meat...but i guess that's korean food...ooh, the kimchi soup is nice as well...

as for the price...i cannot really comment because i didn tpay for them...and i couldnt recall how much it is from the menu....sorry...but it's not very expensive, it's affordable and reasonable...for the ambience, it's kinda simple but you could feel the korean "air"...and i think the owners are koreans from korea!! *laughs* they have rooms for reservation if one would like to enjoy some privacy....the utensils are metallic, which is very typical....so basically, one will know one has walked into a korean restaurant....

not sure if this is the best korean food in singapore..but my uncle who brought me there for the 1st time told me that this restaurant was introduced by his korean colleague who vouched that this korean restaurant is the best in singapore!! well....if the koreans think that the food is good..i reckon it's good....go try it....=)

Organic Xperience

2005-12-26T16:49:00.000+08:00

Organic Xperience is an interesting café to visit. There is one branch at Marine Parade near MacDonald’s or Theresa slimming centre and one at Century Square Tampines. The price range is around café prices from $10 onwards for main courses.

It serves mainly Western food like grilled salmon or spaghetti though the menu may be a tad limited. The food is not wholly organic but has organic ingredients like alfafa sprouts and condiments such as basil oil. Don’t be fooled by the small designer looking plates, the food is good and unique. At first I thought the portion was too little but as I ate, the portion was just right and filling enough. Also the food is arranged beautifully, I almost could not bear to eat the "designer" pieces.

I had the chicken breast seared with basil oil and topped with melted cheese and comes with spaghetti. Can’t remember the exact name, I only remembered the ingredients. It was heavenly as I love cheese. Even my mum agreed that it was good as she took more bites from my lunch! Seems like the organic yoghurt is good too, at $2.50 and comes with lots of topped fruits. Shall try that out next time.

My rating: 4 out 5 stars