C says:
To top off our rather varied weekend, we dropped by this ice creamery for a little something sweet. It’s a quaint little café inside Sunset Way, at Clementi Arcade, selling interesting ice cream flavours. It’s kinda like a less poseur version of Island Creamery.
We shared a Nutty Macadamia, and a Cha (Earl Grey Tea). The Macadamia was very good – nice chunks of nuts and the ice cream had a very pronounced macadamia nut flavour. Better than the Haagen Daaz one, I think. The Cha was refreshingly different. It tasted like an Earl Grey tea with vanilla ice cream that you can get at most coffee joints. The Earl Grey bergamot flavour was very fragrant, but it could get a little too pungent and flowery if we didn’t have the macadamia there to tone it down a little.
The ice creams here definitely don’t feel as creamy and heavy as those at Island Creamery, so you don’t feel that guilty indulging in a scoop, or two… They’re also less fine, although I’m not sure whether that’s due to the lesser milk fat content in the ice cream, or to the quality of the ingredients. Anyway, since it’s fairly close by, we’ll definitely be dropping by more often to try some other flavours.
A says:
This place feels like the poor man’s Island Creamery, even though the prices are higher. Maybe it’s from the more laid back location. Overall, I still think I prefer Island Creamery since it’s cheaper and has better quality (more sinfully rich) ice cream. “If only there weren’t so many snotty kids there,” said the grumpy old man.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Mien at Bukit Timah Market Hawker Centre
C says:
A’s friends P and R told us about this stall on the second floor (#02-133) of the Bukit Timah Market Hawker Centre. It’s a hawker centre-style pasta stall with a difference. The menu is written on a blackboard, and food is served on fairly posh white melamine plates. There are 4 generic sauces to choose from – cream, aglio olio, tomato and pesto, but you can also get some variations on those like carbonara and amatriciana.
There’s only 1 type of pasta – spaghetti – and it’s pre-cooked, then just dipped into a vat of hot water with a wire basket a la mee pok style, then the pasta is given a quick stir with your chosen sauce in a wok. Pasta, Asian style.
I had the Aglio Olio with bacon and mushroom, which was very generous with the ingredients. It was a little salty at first bite but I got used to it after a while. A had a cream sauce with mushrooms because they ran out of chicken, and it wasn’t too bad as well. Best part is, pastas are only $3.90. We shared a soup of the day (mushroom) but it was a little bland. It came with some toasted garlic ‘bread’ which was actually some kind of pandan bread so it tasted a little sweet and really didn’t go with the garlic.
Still, the place was interesting and it also reminded us that there are other good stalls in the market that are worth a try. We had an early dinner so we managed to get a car park. When we walked back to the car, the car park was packed, so best to come here earlier.
A says:
The place was crowded and the layout is super cramped. But if you’re looking for some cheap and good (albeit a bit salty) pasta around Bukit Timah, this is probably the place to go. The guy running the place is also pretty articulate and friendly, especially given how harried he is from the many customers and the heat of the fire.
The portions are small though. And I’d skip the blandish soup. You can easily share three portions among two people. Our just order something else from the other stalls. It is a pretty decent hawker centre.
A’s friends P and R told us about this stall on the second floor (#02-133) of the Bukit Timah Market Hawker Centre. It’s a hawker centre-style pasta stall with a difference. The menu is written on a blackboard, and food is served on fairly posh white melamine plates. There are 4 generic sauces to choose from – cream, aglio olio, tomato and pesto, but you can also get some variations on those like carbonara and amatriciana.
There’s only 1 type of pasta – spaghetti – and it’s pre-cooked, then just dipped into a vat of hot water with a wire basket a la mee pok style, then the pasta is given a quick stir with your chosen sauce in a wok. Pasta, Asian style.
I had the Aglio Olio with bacon and mushroom, which was very generous with the ingredients. It was a little salty at first bite but I got used to it after a while. A had a cream sauce with mushrooms because they ran out of chicken, and it wasn’t too bad as well. Best part is, pastas are only $3.90. We shared a soup of the day (mushroom) but it was a little bland. It came with some toasted garlic ‘bread’ which was actually some kind of pandan bread so it tasted a little sweet and really didn’t go with the garlic.
Still, the place was interesting and it also reminded us that there are other good stalls in the market that are worth a try. We had an early dinner so we managed to get a car park. When we walked back to the car, the car park was packed, so best to come here earlier.
A says:
The place was crowded and the layout is super cramped. But if you’re looking for some cheap and good (albeit a bit salty) pasta around Bukit Timah, this is probably the place to go. The guy running the place is also pretty articulate and friendly, especially given how harried he is from the many customers and the heat of the fire.
The portions are small though. And I’d skip the blandish soup. You can easily share three portions among two people. Our just order something else from the other stalls. It is a pretty decent hawker centre.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Margaret Drive Food Centre
C says:
Queenstown Popiah
I’m extremely annoyed that Sunday Lifestyle’s feature on the best popiah in Singapore didn’t feature the stall in the Margaret Drive Food Centre. There are 2 stalls – the one on the ground floor sells the popiah, and the stall on the second floor is dedicated to making the popiah skins (they also sell kueh pie tee cups).
At just $1 a roll, I think the popiah here is not only a steal, but it’s absolutely delicious as well. The skin is nice and thin, the turnip filling is tasty, and there’s just enough taugeh to give it some crunch. The proportions of garlic, sweet sauce and chilli are just right, and there’s also a very interesting crunchy topping that’s a little like fried breadcrumbs that you don’t get at many other popiah stalls. And the best part about this stall? They don’t add the cursory kng chye (coriander/cilantro) that’s so damn common and irritating in so many popiah joints.
So ignore Teo Pau Lin’s list of 8 of Singapore’s supposed best popiah places and head over to the Queenstown Popiah stall. Another thing to note – for $50, they also do a party set, where they give you all the ingredients you need for a do-it-yourself popiah party at home. They’re extremely generous with their ingredients, and a popiah party is always loads of fun.
Sin Kee Chicken Rice
Since popiah alone isn’t quite enough for a meal, if you’re at the Margaret Drive Food Centre, try the famous chicken rice on the second floor. The chicken is wonderfully moist and tender, even the breast meat that A ordered, and the chilli packs quite a punch as well. I had a side order of chicken livers that were cooked to perfection – wonderfully creamy.
A says:
Popiah rocks cause I like the skins. In fact, I could even eat them on their own.
As for the chicken rice, the last time we came I found it over-rated for someplace so famous. This time though, the chicken was really good. The breast meat sections that I usually have were super tender and flavourful. Must be cause it’s a bit oilier than our other chicken rice places. But while the chicken may be better, the rice lacks that chicken rice oomph! And since I’m more a fan of the rice part in chicken rice, I’d still rather go to Boon Tong Kee or Wee Nam Kee.
Queenstown Popiah
Blk 40A, #01-484
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Tel: 9781-6307
Opening hours: 11 am - 9 pm
Sin Kee Chicken Rice
Blk 40A, #02-548
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Opening hours: 10.30 am - 9 pm (Closed Mondays)
Queenstown Popiah
I’m extremely annoyed that Sunday Lifestyle’s feature on the best popiah in Singapore didn’t feature the stall in the Margaret Drive Food Centre. There are 2 stalls – the one on the ground floor sells the popiah, and the stall on the second floor is dedicated to making the popiah skins (they also sell kueh pie tee cups).
At just $1 a roll, I think the popiah here is not only a steal, but it’s absolutely delicious as well. The skin is nice and thin, the turnip filling is tasty, and there’s just enough taugeh to give it some crunch. The proportions of garlic, sweet sauce and chilli are just right, and there’s also a very interesting crunchy topping that’s a little like fried breadcrumbs that you don’t get at many other popiah stalls. And the best part about this stall? They don’t add the cursory kng chye (coriander/cilantro) that’s so damn common and irritating in so many popiah joints.
So ignore Teo Pau Lin’s list of 8 of Singapore’s supposed best popiah places and head over to the Queenstown Popiah stall. Another thing to note – for $50, they also do a party set, where they give you all the ingredients you need for a do-it-yourself popiah party at home. They’re extremely generous with their ingredients, and a popiah party is always loads of fun.
Sin Kee Chicken Rice
Since popiah alone isn’t quite enough for a meal, if you’re at the Margaret Drive Food Centre, try the famous chicken rice on the second floor. The chicken is wonderfully moist and tender, even the breast meat that A ordered, and the chilli packs quite a punch as well. I had a side order of chicken livers that were cooked to perfection – wonderfully creamy.
A says:
Popiah rocks cause I like the skins. In fact, I could even eat them on their own.
As for the chicken rice, the last time we came I found it over-rated for someplace so famous. This time though, the chicken was really good. The breast meat sections that I usually have were super tender and flavourful. Must be cause it’s a bit oilier than our other chicken rice places. But while the chicken may be better, the rice lacks that chicken rice oomph! And since I’m more a fan of the rice part in chicken rice, I’d still rather go to Boon Tong Kee or Wee Nam Kee.
Queenstown Popiah
Blk 40A, #01-484
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Tel: 9781-6307
Opening hours: 11 am - 9 pm
Sin Kee Chicken Rice
Blk 40A, #02-548
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Opening hours: 10.30 am - 9 pm (Closed Mondays)
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Nanten
C says:
A met me at my office on Friday night and we decided to go to Nanten for dinner - this Jap restaurant at the basement of Hong Leong building is a sort of sister restaurant of Ichibantei. Instead of having the ramen, we decided to go with the a la carte buffet since that’s only available at dinner time. For $30++ you have a fairly wide range of dishes to choose from, which is pretty worthwhile considering that you can order as much as you can eat.
Portions are quite small – an order of sushi comes with just 2 pieces, but that’s perfect for us because it lets us try more things. The quality of the food is really pretty good. We had some very good zaru soba, grilled teriyaki cod and teriyaki beef slices. The sushi was very good too – the unagi was nice and not bony (a sadly common feature in lots of unagi these days), and the salmon and tuna sushi, while looking rather insipid, was made with very good quality fish. I had a soft shell crab tempura and a shisamo as well, but the latter was a bit bony. We ordered the fried rice but I would give that a miss next time. The portion was huge and it filled us up.
All in all, though, very good value. We’ll definitely be coming back here again for Friday night dinners, since we try as far as possible to eat in the Raffles Place area after work to avoid Friday night traffic.
A says:
I really recommend the sushi. Very tasty. The staff missed a few of our dishes, but overall, they were pretty attentive. I heard the place is packed at lunchtime so I wouldn’t go then though.
A met me at my office on Friday night and we decided to go to Nanten for dinner - this Jap restaurant at the basement of Hong Leong building is a sort of sister restaurant of Ichibantei. Instead of having the ramen, we decided to go with the a la carte buffet since that’s only available at dinner time. For $30++ you have a fairly wide range of dishes to choose from, which is pretty worthwhile considering that you can order as much as you can eat.
Portions are quite small – an order of sushi comes with just 2 pieces, but that’s perfect for us because it lets us try more things. The quality of the food is really pretty good. We had some very good zaru soba, grilled teriyaki cod and teriyaki beef slices. The sushi was very good too – the unagi was nice and not bony (a sadly common feature in lots of unagi these days), and the salmon and tuna sushi, while looking rather insipid, was made with very good quality fish. I had a soft shell crab tempura and a shisamo as well, but the latter was a bit bony. We ordered the fried rice but I would give that a miss next time. The portion was huge and it filled us up.
All in all, though, very good value. We’ll definitely be coming back here again for Friday night dinners, since we try as far as possible to eat in the Raffles Place area after work to avoid Friday night traffic.
A says:
I really recommend the sushi. Very tasty. The staff missed a few of our dishes, but overall, they were pretty attentive. I heard the place is packed at lunchtime so I wouldn’t go then though.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Botak Jones – Clementi
C says:
Good news for those who don’t live in the North, and who don’t want to drive into the wilds of Tuas - Botak Jones has opened a third outlet in a much more accessible location: Block 325 Clementi Avenue 5. We went here with A’s folks on Sunday night, and based on the repeat stuff that we ordered (Botak burger, chicken wings, Chili), we’ve concluded that this outlet is better than the Ang Mo Kio one. It was most evident in the burger; we ordered the double, and the beef was juicier and more tasty than the one we had at AMK.
We tried a few more things as well. I had the rosemary lamb chops, and we tried some of the ribeye that A’s dad had. They were alright – the beef was better than the lamb, which didn’t have much flavour apart from the overwhelming rosemary, but the burger far outshone everything else.
We will probably come back to this outlet again, and just share a triple burger and nothing else.
A says:
Less crowded and food tastes better than the AMK one. Best of all, it’s in the West. The drinks store lady was a weirdo though.
Good news for those who don’t live in the North, and who don’t want to drive into the wilds of Tuas - Botak Jones has opened a third outlet in a much more accessible location: Block 325 Clementi Avenue 5. We went here with A’s folks on Sunday night, and based on the repeat stuff that we ordered (Botak burger, chicken wings, Chili), we’ve concluded that this outlet is better than the Ang Mo Kio one. It was most evident in the burger; we ordered the double, and the beef was juicier and more tasty than the one we had at AMK.
We tried a few more things as well. I had the rosemary lamb chops, and we tried some of the ribeye that A’s dad had. They were alright – the beef was better than the lamb, which didn’t have much flavour apart from the overwhelming rosemary, but the burger far outshone everything else.
We will probably come back to this outlet again, and just share a triple burger and nothing else.
A says:
Less crowded and food tastes better than the AMK one. Best of all, it’s in the West. The drinks store lady was a weirdo though.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Nanjya Monjya
C says:
We went with A’s friends on Saturday night to the branch at Waterfront Plaza (near Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel). The other branch is at Allson Hotel, which we tried a couple of years ago and weren’t all that impressed with. This branch specialises in table-top teppanyaki, I think, because most of the tables have a hot plate all ready for some teppanyaki action. Note: if you’re there in a big group, try not to sit near the hot plate because it does radiate a fair amount of heat all night.
Most of the thing we had were teppanyaki items, including something called Belly Pork Pizza which we didn’t expect to be teppanyaki. It was a Japanese pancake, which was a mixture of batter, spring onions and lots of cabbage, shaped into a disc and grilled on the hot plate. This takes AGES to cook but tastes pretty good. Ours would have tasted better if we had left the waitstaff to finish off the cooking process for us. We were so hungry that we kept checking it periodically and ate it the moment it was done. Later, after the other guys ordered it, we realised that if we had waited, we would have gotten the proper treatment of a few squirts of mayo, a thick brown sauce and bonito flakes. Darn.
The best dish that we had was the Geso Butter – squid tentacles grilled with butter and spring onions. The garlic fried rice was also fried on the teppanyaki grill and was pretty good, but overall, the prices are way more than I would pay for the quality of the food. The tuna steak was overdone, and the beef tenderloin wasn’t as good as the one at Aburiya.
I don’t think we’ll be coming back here again on our own accord.
A says:
The more senior staff provide really good service but some of the younger ones are really quite blur. Atmosphere is pretty nice too. The place is nice but not tops on my list.
We went with A’s friends on Saturday night to the branch at Waterfront Plaza (near Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel). The other branch is at Allson Hotel, which we tried a couple of years ago and weren’t all that impressed with. This branch specialises in table-top teppanyaki, I think, because most of the tables have a hot plate all ready for some teppanyaki action. Note: if you’re there in a big group, try not to sit near the hot plate because it does radiate a fair amount of heat all night.
Most of the thing we had were teppanyaki items, including something called Belly Pork Pizza which we didn’t expect to be teppanyaki. It was a Japanese pancake, which was a mixture of batter, spring onions and lots of cabbage, shaped into a disc and grilled on the hot plate. This takes AGES to cook but tastes pretty good. Ours would have tasted better if we had left the waitstaff to finish off the cooking process for us. We were so hungry that we kept checking it periodically and ate it the moment it was done. Later, after the other guys ordered it, we realised that if we had waited, we would have gotten the proper treatment of a few squirts of mayo, a thick brown sauce and bonito flakes. Darn.
The best dish that we had was the Geso Butter – squid tentacles grilled with butter and spring onions. The garlic fried rice was also fried on the teppanyaki grill and was pretty good, but overall, the prices are way more than I would pay for the quality of the food. The tuna steak was overdone, and the beef tenderloin wasn’t as good as the one at Aburiya.
I don’t think we’ll be coming back here again on our own accord.
A says:
The more senior staff provide really good service but some of the younger ones are really quite blur. Atmosphere is pretty nice too. The place is nice but not tops on my list.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Buko Nero
C says:
Friday was Buko Nero night once again. The menu was:
Amuse Bouche: Chicken and mushroom wonton ravioli
Beef Carpaccio with Lemon, Grape and Mint
Cauliflower and Crab Meat Soup
Buko Nero Tau Kwa Tower (a la carte)
Orange and Passionfruit Sherbet
A’s main: Beef tenderloin with blueberry sauce and bacon
C’s main: Risotto with lamb proscuitto and marscapone
Coffee ice-cream with marshmallows
The amuse bouche was quite similar to the beef and red wine ravioli that we had on our last visit, so while it was very good, it wasn’t a new taste for us so it didn’t blow us away. The carpaccio was best eaten separately, because the lemon dressing, mint and grape combination tended to overpower the taste of the beef. But I had a mouthful of the beef on its own and it had a great intense beef flavour.
The soup was wonderful; I wish we could have ta bao-ed a whole tureen of it and had huge bowls of it with crusty baguette and lots of butter. I really don’t know how Chef Oscar manages to take a none-too-pleasant tasting vegetable, and turn it into an awesome soup that still tastes like cauliflower, but with none of its dodginess.
The tau kwa tower was interesting – we decided to share it this time because it’s their signature starter and we hadn’t tried it after so many visits. It was pretty good, mainly saved by the sauce which both sweet and slightly tart, and the shitake mushrooms that topped the tau kwa. It was worth trying but I don’t think we’ll order it again.
A’s beef was great as usual, and the blueberry sauce was really interesting. It wasn’t as sweet as I expected, just very concentrated and almost like a red wine sauce. My risotto, which is from the a la carte menu, was an unexpected delight. The rice had a good bite to it, it wasn’t too soupy, and while the risotto with the marscapone was a tad bland on its own, it was absolutely perfect when combined with the intensely flavourful lamb proscuitto. Even A, who is not a risotto fan, liked this and even preferred it to his main.
The coffee ice-cream was a major caffeine jolt. It was home-made and seriously high on espresso flavour. The little pieces of marshmallow embedded in the ice cream added a nice touch.
Note: Buko Nero is closed from 17th September for their summer vacation. They’re back in the beginning of October so we have to wait until then to try and make our next reservation.
A says:
Great as usual. I just hope their sherbet isn’t some weird fruit flavour next time.
Friday was Buko Nero night once again. The menu was:
Amuse Bouche: Chicken and mushroom wonton ravioli
Beef Carpaccio with Lemon, Grape and Mint
Cauliflower and Crab Meat Soup
Buko Nero Tau Kwa Tower (a la carte)
Orange and Passionfruit Sherbet
A’s main: Beef tenderloin with blueberry sauce and bacon
C’s main: Risotto with lamb proscuitto and marscapone
Coffee ice-cream with marshmallows
The amuse bouche was quite similar to the beef and red wine ravioli that we had on our last visit, so while it was very good, it wasn’t a new taste for us so it didn’t blow us away. The carpaccio was best eaten separately, because the lemon dressing, mint and grape combination tended to overpower the taste of the beef. But I had a mouthful of the beef on its own and it had a great intense beef flavour.
The soup was wonderful; I wish we could have ta bao-ed a whole tureen of it and had huge bowls of it with crusty baguette and lots of butter. I really don’t know how Chef Oscar manages to take a none-too-pleasant tasting vegetable, and turn it into an awesome soup that still tastes like cauliflower, but with none of its dodginess.
The tau kwa tower was interesting – we decided to share it this time because it’s their signature starter and we hadn’t tried it after so many visits. It was pretty good, mainly saved by the sauce which both sweet and slightly tart, and the shitake mushrooms that topped the tau kwa. It was worth trying but I don’t think we’ll order it again.
A’s beef was great as usual, and the blueberry sauce was really interesting. It wasn’t as sweet as I expected, just very concentrated and almost like a red wine sauce. My risotto, which is from the a la carte menu, was an unexpected delight. The rice had a good bite to it, it wasn’t too soupy, and while the risotto with the marscapone was a tad bland on its own, it was absolutely perfect when combined with the intensely flavourful lamb proscuitto. Even A, who is not a risotto fan, liked this and even preferred it to his main.
The coffee ice-cream was a major caffeine jolt. It was home-made and seriously high on espresso flavour. The little pieces of marshmallow embedded in the ice cream added a nice touch.
Note: Buko Nero is closed from 17th September for their summer vacation. They’re back in the beginning of October so we have to wait until then to try and make our next reservation.
A says:
Great as usual. I just hope their sherbet isn’t some weird fruit flavour next time.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Baba King, Nonya Deli
C says:
We went to Singapore Expo on Sunday afternoon to watch A’s friend’s martial arts demonstration at Fitness Asia 2006. We saw this place and decided to have dinner there thinking that A could have some nonya kuehs, for which he seems to have developed quite a fondness. When we went in, though, there were no kuehs to be found, just authentic Peranakan dishes.
A ordered the sambal fish spaghetti, which turned out pretty good, as far as fusion pastas go. He would have liked it better if not for the daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaf) that scented the sauce. I wanted to order a bunch of sides, because they looked promising and a lot like what my grandmother cooks, like pong tauhu soup (meatballs with bamboo shoots) and bakwan kepiting (pork and crabmeat balls), but unfortunately they were all out of these, having catered to thousands of people the past week for Comex.
I decided to try the Ayam Buah Keluak. I usually try not to order this dish in restaurants, because my grandmother makes it so well and with such a potent buah keluak flavour that most places don’t measure up at all. Ivin’s sucks, and most places skimp on the buah keluak so it just ends up tasting like assam chicken. However, I’m pleased to say that this one tasted almost like my grandmother’s. The gravy was really thick, and there was definitely some buah keluak added directly to the gravy. The chicken was juicy thigh meat and conveniently deboned, and there were 2 nuts stuffed with some minced meat. They even gave you a disposable glove and a crab picker for you to dig the meat out of the nuts.
The chef, Philip Khoo, came over to ask if everything was alright, and after realising I wasn’t clueless about Peranakan food, starting chatting to us and offered us loads of stuff to try. He brought out an amazing buah keluak sambal – the buah keluak paste blended with sambal which was just amazing with rice or added to the buah keluak gravy. He let us try his achar as well, which A polished off, and some of his beef Devil’s curry which was also really good. (They do a Devil’s curry spaghetti too, which after tasting the curry, I can imagine would be pretty good)
Alas, for the moment they only have the one branch at Singapore Expo (facing Hall 3, for those who may be interested). Apparently they’re going to open 2 more branches by the end of the year – Novena Ville and Telok Ayer Street – along with 6 fast food joints called Pasta Peranakano (or something). I’m less interested in the pasta and more in the proper food joints, so watch this space and I hope to be able to report on the new store openings soon.
A says:
I was surprised how good the food was considering where it was. Owners seem nice and friendly although the new influx of non-native-nonyas may affect quality. And unlike C, I’m not a big nonya cuisine fan so I’m looking forward to the fusion with pasta. It’s not worth going all the way to Singapore Expo to have, but once their other outlets open, I foresee it being a regular haunt for nonya fans.
We went to Singapore Expo on Sunday afternoon to watch A’s friend’s martial arts demonstration at Fitness Asia 2006. We saw this place and decided to have dinner there thinking that A could have some nonya kuehs, for which he seems to have developed quite a fondness. When we went in, though, there were no kuehs to be found, just authentic Peranakan dishes.
A ordered the sambal fish spaghetti, which turned out pretty good, as far as fusion pastas go. He would have liked it better if not for the daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaf) that scented the sauce. I wanted to order a bunch of sides, because they looked promising and a lot like what my grandmother cooks, like pong tauhu soup (meatballs with bamboo shoots) and bakwan kepiting (pork and crabmeat balls), but unfortunately they were all out of these, having catered to thousands of people the past week for Comex.
I decided to try the Ayam Buah Keluak. I usually try not to order this dish in restaurants, because my grandmother makes it so well and with such a potent buah keluak flavour that most places don’t measure up at all. Ivin’s sucks, and most places skimp on the buah keluak so it just ends up tasting like assam chicken. However, I’m pleased to say that this one tasted almost like my grandmother’s. The gravy was really thick, and there was definitely some buah keluak added directly to the gravy. The chicken was juicy thigh meat and conveniently deboned, and there were 2 nuts stuffed with some minced meat. They even gave you a disposable glove and a crab picker for you to dig the meat out of the nuts.
The chef, Philip Khoo, came over to ask if everything was alright, and after realising I wasn’t clueless about Peranakan food, starting chatting to us and offered us loads of stuff to try. He brought out an amazing buah keluak sambal – the buah keluak paste blended with sambal which was just amazing with rice or added to the buah keluak gravy. He let us try his achar as well, which A polished off, and some of his beef Devil’s curry which was also really good. (They do a Devil’s curry spaghetti too, which after tasting the curry, I can imagine would be pretty good)
Alas, for the moment they only have the one branch at Singapore Expo (facing Hall 3, for those who may be interested). Apparently they’re going to open 2 more branches by the end of the year – Novena Ville and Telok Ayer Street – along with 6 fast food joints called Pasta Peranakano (or something). I’m less interested in the pasta and more in the proper food joints, so watch this space and I hope to be able to report on the new store openings soon.
A says:
I was surprised how good the food was considering where it was. Owners seem nice and friendly although the new influx of non-native-nonyas may affect quality. And unlike C, I’m not a big nonya cuisine fan so I’m looking forward to the fusion with pasta. It’s not worth going all the way to Singapore Expo to have, but once their other outlets open, I foresee it being a regular haunt for nonya fans.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Miharu
C says:
After hearing so much about this place (it was named one of Singapore’s top 50 restaurants by Lifestyle recently, and was also in the top 10 best ramen places a while ago), we finally made a date with S and KH for lunch on Saturday. The place doesn’t accept reservations – you have to get there the moment they open if you want to secure a table without waiting in line. Opening hours are noon to 3 pm, and 6 to 10 pm. Already, when we got there at about 12.15, all the indoor seating was taken but we managed to snag one of the last few tables outside. It’s quite tiny, and is located in a little corner of Gallery Hotel at Mohd Sultan.
Unlike Ohsho, which was also on Lifestyle’s ramen list, I think Miharu deserves to be on the list. This is one of the best ramens I’ve had. Yes, the soups were pretty oily and a tad salty, but to me that made them all the more tasty. The noodles themselves are definitely the best I’ve had – they’re springy and have a great texture and bite to them. I absolutely hate mushy noodles so these were perfect for me.
The 4 of us tried different dishes so that we could have a taste of each other’s. I had the Kyushu soup, because I have a weakness for the thick pork bone stock. A had their speciality – the Miso soup. S had a fragrant sesame oil-laced Shoyu soup that tasted remarkably like the soy sauce that comes with steamed fish at Chinese dinners. Finally, KH had the cold ramen with a fragrant dipping sauce. I think my Kyushu soup was the best – it was thick and hearty; a tad salty but definitely the most flavour and body. S’s was pretty good too; not as salty as it looked and quite light yet fragrant. A’s may have been the house speciality but I didn’t find it that spectacular compared to the others. KH’s cold ramen was unfortunately named, because the dipping sauce was quite hot, so by the time the cold noodles were dunked, they were far from cold once you put them in your mouth. The sauce was interesting though – quite salty and very strong in sesame.
We headed over to Ichibantei for a soft ice-cream dessert – perfect end to a great lunch.
A says:
Expect long queues if you don’t get there within 15 mins of when it opens. We could only get tables outside when we got there at 12.15pm. While the food and service are good, I’m not sure it’ll be worth the long wait.
The food was really oily (and salty) but I’ve got no problem with that. Overall, very good ramen.
After hearing so much about this place (it was named one of Singapore’s top 50 restaurants by Lifestyle recently, and was also in the top 10 best ramen places a while ago), we finally made a date with S and KH for lunch on Saturday. The place doesn’t accept reservations – you have to get there the moment they open if you want to secure a table without waiting in line. Opening hours are noon to 3 pm, and 6 to 10 pm. Already, when we got there at about 12.15, all the indoor seating was taken but we managed to snag one of the last few tables outside. It’s quite tiny, and is located in a little corner of Gallery Hotel at Mohd Sultan.
Unlike Ohsho, which was also on Lifestyle’s ramen list, I think Miharu deserves to be on the list. This is one of the best ramens I’ve had. Yes, the soups were pretty oily and a tad salty, but to me that made them all the more tasty. The noodles themselves are definitely the best I’ve had – they’re springy and have a great texture and bite to them. I absolutely hate mushy noodles so these were perfect for me.
The 4 of us tried different dishes so that we could have a taste of each other’s. I had the Kyushu soup, because I have a weakness for the thick pork bone stock. A had their speciality – the Miso soup. S had a fragrant sesame oil-laced Shoyu soup that tasted remarkably like the soy sauce that comes with steamed fish at Chinese dinners. Finally, KH had the cold ramen with a fragrant dipping sauce. I think my Kyushu soup was the best – it was thick and hearty; a tad salty but definitely the most flavour and body. S’s was pretty good too; not as salty as it looked and quite light yet fragrant. A’s may have been the house speciality but I didn’t find it that spectacular compared to the others. KH’s cold ramen was unfortunately named, because the dipping sauce was quite hot, so by the time the cold noodles were dunked, they were far from cold once you put them in your mouth. The sauce was interesting though – quite salty and very strong in sesame.
We headed over to Ichibantei for a soft ice-cream dessert – perfect end to a great lunch.
A says:
Expect long queues if you don’t get there within 15 mins of when it opens. We could only get tables outside when we got there at 12.15pm. While the food and service are good, I’m not sure it’ll be worth the long wait.
The food was really oily (and salty) but I’ve got no problem with that. Overall, very good ramen.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Flowerbed
C says:
Quick one, since we’ve written about this before. A and I had dinner here again on Friday night, despite hearing a few none-too-great reviews from some friends recently.
Besides the beer marinated chicken wings, which I couldn’t not have, we decided to try all new dishes that night. We shared the curry chicken noodles, the Dragon fried wontons and one of their specials that day – a beef kebab. The kebab was just so-so; as far as kebabs go, they weren’t overdone and dry, but the meat wasn’t the greatest quality so it was a tad chewy. I wouldn’t order this again. The Dragon fried wontons are just a mixture of crab sticks and cream cheese, wrapped in wonton skin and deep fried. These were really good, the filling was like crab mayo which always suits me fine.
The curry chicken noodles with cockles was much better than expected. It was a proper Chinese curry gravy, untainted by any hint of peanut flavour which most curry noodles places seem to enjoy adding to the gravy. The curry gravy wasn’t too thick either – perfect consistency for drinking the gravy like a soup without feeling completely ill and bloated after. Flowerbed’s is quite a big serving, with about 5 pieces of chicken, 4 or 5 pieces of potato and about 6 cockles (which A ate), so if you want to sample some of their pretty good side dishes, again we’d recommend that you share the noodles.
A says:
The girl serving us was super blur but at least there wasn’t any cock-up in the order. The chicken curry was surprisingly good (better than the one at the Holland Village ipoh hor fun place). Everything else was pretty decent and the ice blended lychee rocked as expected.
Quick one, since we’ve written about this before. A and I had dinner here again on Friday night, despite hearing a few none-too-great reviews from some friends recently.
Besides the beer marinated chicken wings, which I couldn’t not have, we decided to try all new dishes that night. We shared the curry chicken noodles, the Dragon fried wontons and one of their specials that day – a beef kebab. The kebab was just so-so; as far as kebabs go, they weren’t overdone and dry, but the meat wasn’t the greatest quality so it was a tad chewy. I wouldn’t order this again. The Dragon fried wontons are just a mixture of crab sticks and cream cheese, wrapped in wonton skin and deep fried. These were really good, the filling was like crab mayo which always suits me fine.
The curry chicken noodles with cockles was much better than expected. It was a proper Chinese curry gravy, untainted by any hint of peanut flavour which most curry noodles places seem to enjoy adding to the gravy. The curry gravy wasn’t too thick either – perfect consistency for drinking the gravy like a soup without feeling completely ill and bloated after. Flowerbed’s is quite a big serving, with about 5 pieces of chicken, 4 or 5 pieces of potato and about 6 cockles (which A ate), so if you want to sample some of their pretty good side dishes, again we’d recommend that you share the noodles.
A says:
The girl serving us was super blur but at least there wasn’t any cock-up in the order. The chicken curry was surprisingly good (better than the one at the Holland Village ipoh hor fun place). Everything else was pretty decent and the ice blended lychee rocked as expected.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Valentino’s
C says:
A and C are back with a vengeance, heh. We’ve been a little lax in the posting department, because lately we’ve been going to places that we’ve already written about, and haven’t tried anything new there. We went to Valentino’s at Rifle Range on Sunday night, and I thought we wouldn’t have anything new to post, but we tried a couple of new dishes so will give a quick comment on them.
We had one of the starter specials, the one which we missed out on the last time we were here. I was thrilled that they had it again on Sunday. It’s a round piece of cheese wrapped with parma ham, and grilled till the parma ham is almost crisp, and served with a mixed salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It looked a little boring when it arrived, but yumm…. it definitely more than made up for it in taste. The cheese and parma ham were perfectly paired; I’m not sure what cheese it was, but it tasted like a slightly richer yet milder version of brie. Eaten on its own, the cheese packed quite a punch but the saltiness and slight crispiness of the grilled parma ham provided a perfect contrast. Because it had been grilled, the cheese was melty in the centre and was deliciously oozy and runny.
I had the Bismark pizza, because for some reason I had a craving for it. It was pretty good, but after seeing (and smelling) plate after plate of the lobster pasta making their way from the kitchen to the other diners’ tables, I’ve decided that I just have to order that again next time. A had another special, the osso bucco, which was meltingly tender. My only grouse is that the portion was inordinately tiny.
Of course, A had the tiramisu for dessert, and I tried the panna cotta. Both were excellent but best shared, because each on their own can be a tad gelak.
I’m also happy to report that Valentino’s is doing really well, and is even expanding. When we were there on Sunday night, we had to take the first seating at 6.30pm (second seating is at 8.15pm) , and even at that time it was packed, both indoors and outdoors. They’ve also acquired another unit next door, and named it Pasticceria Da Valentino. This is supposed to be a traditional Italian bakery, and sells his sister’s delicious cakes, pastries and desserts which are also available at the restaurant. When we popped in after dinner, they seemed to only have packets of biscotti and whole cakes, rather than individual pastries. Maybe those are available earlier in the day.
A says:
Parking’s a bitch and sometimes, even the local wait staff are hard to understand, but I love everything else about the place. Definitely the best place to have Italian in Singapore.
A and C are back with a vengeance, heh. We’ve been a little lax in the posting department, because lately we’ve been going to places that we’ve already written about, and haven’t tried anything new there. We went to Valentino’s at Rifle Range on Sunday night, and I thought we wouldn’t have anything new to post, but we tried a couple of new dishes so will give a quick comment on them.
We had one of the starter specials, the one which we missed out on the last time we were here. I was thrilled that they had it again on Sunday. It’s a round piece of cheese wrapped with parma ham, and grilled till the parma ham is almost crisp, and served with a mixed salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It looked a little boring when it arrived, but yumm…. it definitely more than made up for it in taste. The cheese and parma ham were perfectly paired; I’m not sure what cheese it was, but it tasted like a slightly richer yet milder version of brie. Eaten on its own, the cheese packed quite a punch but the saltiness and slight crispiness of the grilled parma ham provided a perfect contrast. Because it had been grilled, the cheese was melty in the centre and was deliciously oozy and runny.
I had the Bismark pizza, because for some reason I had a craving for it. It was pretty good, but after seeing (and smelling) plate after plate of the lobster pasta making their way from the kitchen to the other diners’ tables, I’ve decided that I just have to order that again next time. A had another special, the osso bucco, which was meltingly tender. My only grouse is that the portion was inordinately tiny.
Of course, A had the tiramisu for dessert, and I tried the panna cotta. Both were excellent but best shared, because each on their own can be a tad gelak.
I’m also happy to report that Valentino’s is doing really well, and is even expanding. When we were there on Sunday night, we had to take the first seating at 6.30pm (second seating is at 8.15pm) , and even at that time it was packed, both indoors and outdoors. They’ve also acquired another unit next door, and named it Pasticceria Da Valentino. This is supposed to be a traditional Italian bakery, and sells his sister’s delicious cakes, pastries and desserts which are also available at the restaurant. When we popped in after dinner, they seemed to only have packets of biscotti and whole cakes, rather than individual pastries. Maybe those are available earlier in the day.
A says:
Parking’s a bitch and sometimes, even the local wait staff are hard to understand, but I love everything else about the place. Definitely the best place to have Italian in Singapore.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Chippy at Raffles Marketplace
C says:
We finally tried this place for lunch on Saturday. It’s a little stall in the new basement Marketplace of Raffles City, and is supposed to be a traditional British chippy. There are no actual seats – everything is served in little paper bags or cups, and they provide a bench and bar countertop for you to eat. Although it strictly isn’t necessary, because they convenient cut everything into bite-sized pieces that you can easily eat while strolling around, using the satay sticks that they provide.
A and I shared a regular fish and chips, and a cheesy sausage with mashed potato. For the fish and chips, you have an option of 2 sauces – salt and vinegar, and mayonnaise and ketchup. Since we wanted an authentic British fish and chip experience, we opted for the salt and vinegar. The fish is cut into 12 pieces, with each little piece battered and fried separately (i.e. it is not battered as a fillet and subsequently cut, cos then the fish would just flake into bits), and the chips are more like potato wedges also battered and fried. This was actually a lot better than I expected. The fish was liberally doused with malt vinegar, and there was a substantial amount of fish; it wasn’t all batter like I was afraid of. Even the battered potatoes were thick chunks of potato, not processed and tasteless fries. Didn’t taste particularly oily either.
The cheesy sausage was a whole sausage on a stick, and the mashed potato was at the base of the cup, so that you could dunk the sausage into the mash as you ate. The sausage was good, but I found the mashed potatoes to be slightly too salty and processed-tasting.
They also have some crispy curry chicken bites, which I may try next time, and deep fried Mars bars, which sound like a heart attack waiting to happen. A and I would have ordered the Mars bars just for the sake of trying it, if they sold them by the piece. Unfortunately each serving is 4 Mars bar bites (each bite is probably the size of a quarter of a Mars bar), and we just couldn’t bring ourselves to order and be compelled to finish that many.
If anyone dares to try them, do tell us how they are!
A says:
It’s a bit much to have all 12 pieces of fish on your own but the sausage is just nice for a quick meal. I had no problems with the mash, which was just chunky enough so it wasn’t the usual KFC slop.
Standing around and eating is a bit of a turnoff, especially when you have to squeeze with other customers, but I guess it’s all part of the experience. I think it’s great for takeout though (if you eat them before they get too cold and soggy).
Overall, top marks for a quick, affordable (food under $5/pax) meal.
We finally tried this place for lunch on Saturday. It’s a little stall in the new basement Marketplace of Raffles City, and is supposed to be a traditional British chippy. There are no actual seats – everything is served in little paper bags or cups, and they provide a bench and bar countertop for you to eat. Although it strictly isn’t necessary, because they convenient cut everything into bite-sized pieces that you can easily eat while strolling around, using the satay sticks that they provide.
A and I shared a regular fish and chips, and a cheesy sausage with mashed potato. For the fish and chips, you have an option of 2 sauces – salt and vinegar, and mayonnaise and ketchup. Since we wanted an authentic British fish and chip experience, we opted for the salt and vinegar. The fish is cut into 12 pieces, with each little piece battered and fried separately (i.e. it is not battered as a fillet and subsequently cut, cos then the fish would just flake into bits), and the chips are more like potato wedges also battered and fried. This was actually a lot better than I expected. The fish was liberally doused with malt vinegar, and there was a substantial amount of fish; it wasn’t all batter like I was afraid of. Even the battered potatoes were thick chunks of potato, not processed and tasteless fries. Didn’t taste particularly oily either.
The cheesy sausage was a whole sausage on a stick, and the mashed potato was at the base of the cup, so that you could dunk the sausage into the mash as you ate. The sausage was good, but I found the mashed potatoes to be slightly too salty and processed-tasting.
They also have some crispy curry chicken bites, which I may try next time, and deep fried Mars bars, which sound like a heart attack waiting to happen. A and I would have ordered the Mars bars just for the sake of trying it, if they sold them by the piece. Unfortunately each serving is 4 Mars bar bites (each bite is probably the size of a quarter of a Mars bar), and we just couldn’t bring ourselves to order and be compelled to finish that many.
If anyone dares to try them, do tell us how they are!
A says:
It’s a bit much to have all 12 pieces of fish on your own but the sausage is just nice for a quick meal. I had no problems with the mash, which was just chunky enough so it wasn’t the usual KFC slop.
Standing around and eating is a bit of a turnoff, especially when you have to squeeze with other customers, but I guess it’s all part of the experience. I think it’s great for takeout though (if you eat them before they get too cold and soggy).
Overall, top marks for a quick, affordable (food under $5/pax) meal.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Pagi Sore
C says:
Pagi Sore is an Indonesian restaurant along Telok Ayer Street, which was recently recognised in Sunday LifeStyle’s list of Top 50 Best Restaurants. A and I have been here a couple of times since we started this blog, but never together, so we’ve held off writing about it until we got a chance to do our ‘C says/A says’ take on it. However, because A keeps finding other places where he’d rather eat in the area, I don’t foresee going together any time in the near future, so I’ve decided to just write about it now. A can add his comments based on the time he came here with his colleagues.
I had a team lunch here on Friday with my colleagues; the task of ordering the food was once again shoved to me, but the good thing about that is that I get to order what I would order anyway. There are a few star dishes here, although I haven’t actually had anything bad here. Still, the must-try dishes are: Ayam Bali – grilled chicken thigh, conveniently deboned and coated with a sweet dark sauce. This is one of their house specialties, for good reason. The chicken is tender, the sauce is flavourful and the grilled and slightly charred edges are lovely. Otah Ikan Kukus – This is a whole fish, minus the head and tail fin, steamed with an otah paste in a banana leaf. This is delicious, and I’m always glad to go with people other than A so that I can order this, cos he’s not a fan of fish with bones, nor of otah.
Besides those two must-haves, the sayur lodeh and tauhu telor are worth a try as well. On Friday we had their beef rendang, grilled squid and sambal kangkong as well, but not spectacular compared to the chicken and fish. They serve baskets of Indonesian emping or belinjo crackers, the slightly bitter ones, which are addictive and pretty darn good when dipped into their sambal belacan.
This place has definitely earned its mention in the Best Restaurants list. It’s absolutely packed at lunchtime and reservations are essential, especially for large groups. Try to go at dinner if you can, it’s a lot less frenzied and you get more attention from the waitstaff as a result. As it is, though, while a little chaotic, service on Friday was good and not a single mistake was made with our order.
A says:
Food really good but if you’re considering it just for nasi padang, it’s nowhere near the best in Singapore (like River Valley Nasi Padang and Warong Nasi Padang on North Bridge Road). The dining experience is more comfortable though as the other places are non-air-conditioned and ordering gets a bit stressful (if you not down with the lingo like C).
The staff are friendly and well-trained. On a side note: the place supports rehabilitation of ex-cons and employs many. Besides the sayur lodeh, that’s another reason to go support, support.
Pagi Sore is an Indonesian restaurant along Telok Ayer Street, which was recently recognised in Sunday LifeStyle’s list of Top 50 Best Restaurants. A and I have been here a couple of times since we started this blog, but never together, so we’ve held off writing about it until we got a chance to do our ‘C says/A says’ take on it. However, because A keeps finding other places where he’d rather eat in the area, I don’t foresee going together any time in the near future, so I’ve decided to just write about it now. A can add his comments based on the time he came here with his colleagues.
I had a team lunch here on Friday with my colleagues; the task of ordering the food was once again shoved to me, but the good thing about that is that I get to order what I would order anyway. There are a few star dishes here, although I haven’t actually had anything bad here. Still, the must-try dishes are: Ayam Bali – grilled chicken thigh, conveniently deboned and coated with a sweet dark sauce. This is one of their house specialties, for good reason. The chicken is tender, the sauce is flavourful and the grilled and slightly charred edges are lovely. Otah Ikan Kukus – This is a whole fish, minus the head and tail fin, steamed with an otah paste in a banana leaf. This is delicious, and I’m always glad to go with people other than A so that I can order this, cos he’s not a fan of fish with bones, nor of otah.
Besides those two must-haves, the sayur lodeh and tauhu telor are worth a try as well. On Friday we had their beef rendang, grilled squid and sambal kangkong as well, but not spectacular compared to the chicken and fish. They serve baskets of Indonesian emping or belinjo crackers, the slightly bitter ones, which are addictive and pretty darn good when dipped into their sambal belacan.
This place has definitely earned its mention in the Best Restaurants list. It’s absolutely packed at lunchtime and reservations are essential, especially for large groups. Try to go at dinner if you can, it’s a lot less frenzied and you get more attention from the waitstaff as a result. As it is, though, while a little chaotic, service on Friday was good and not a single mistake was made with our order.
A says:
Food really good but if you’re considering it just for nasi padang, it’s nowhere near the best in Singapore (like River Valley Nasi Padang and Warong Nasi Padang on North Bridge Road). The dining experience is more comfortable though as the other places are non-air-conditioned and ordering gets a bit stressful (if you not down with the lingo like C).
The staff are friendly and well-trained. On a side note: the place supports rehabilitation of ex-cons and employs many. Besides the sayur lodeh, that’s another reason to go support, support.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Mad Jack’s
C says:
We tried Mad Jack’s, between Serene Centre and Crown Centre, on Saturday night. Apparently they do a good and authentic Fish N Chips, but neither A nor I felt like fish and chips, so I had a grilled chicken chop with cream sauce, and A had the lamb chop.
The food wasn’t all that good. My chicken was alright, typical food court-style Western chicken chop with a pretty good cream sauce, but A’s lamb was a little tough and VERY strong in lamb flavour. In fact, we wouldn’t have bothered posting about it if not for…
DESSERT. We had their homemade Chocolate Delight cake with vanilla ice cream. If you come here, remember – they make the Chocolate Delight themselves, whereas the Chocolate Fudge cake is bought from a supplier. The cake was wonderful – typical old fashioned chocolate fudge cake that puts Lana cake to shame. It had a thick chocolately fudge layer on top and in the centre, and the chocolate sponge was really moist.
Next time we’ll probably go next door to Renaldo’s for food, and just have the cake at Mad Jack’s for dessert.
A says:
The place reminds me of the joints run by college students overseas. The young staff don’t strike me as super competent except for the Chinese dude with long hair. Maybe they were just tired from the long operating hours. One big plus is the Xbox for patrons to play with.
Food-wise, you can’t expect too much for the price you pay, but I think it’s the same standard as cheaper kopitiam Western stalls. The sides are much better, such as with the rocking fries, buttery mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. Still not worth the price unless you’re having the cheap burger.
The desserts (and my iced coffee) were really good and value for money though. The cake was way better than it looked and well worth it. Too bad they use Movenpick ice cream instead of Haagen Daaz. I likea the Haagen Daaz.
We tried Mad Jack’s, between Serene Centre and Crown Centre, on Saturday night. Apparently they do a good and authentic Fish N Chips, but neither A nor I felt like fish and chips, so I had a grilled chicken chop with cream sauce, and A had the lamb chop.
The food wasn’t all that good. My chicken was alright, typical food court-style Western chicken chop with a pretty good cream sauce, but A’s lamb was a little tough and VERY strong in lamb flavour. In fact, we wouldn’t have bothered posting about it if not for…
DESSERT. We had their homemade Chocolate Delight cake with vanilla ice cream. If you come here, remember – they make the Chocolate Delight themselves, whereas the Chocolate Fudge cake is bought from a supplier. The cake was wonderful – typical old fashioned chocolate fudge cake that puts Lana cake to shame. It had a thick chocolately fudge layer on top and in the centre, and the chocolate sponge was really moist.
Next time we’ll probably go next door to Renaldo’s for food, and just have the cake at Mad Jack’s for dessert.
A says:
The place reminds me of the joints run by college students overseas. The young staff don’t strike me as super competent except for the Chinese dude with long hair. Maybe they were just tired from the long operating hours. One big plus is the Xbox for patrons to play with.
Food-wise, you can’t expect too much for the price you pay, but I think it’s the same standard as cheaper kopitiam Western stalls. The sides are much better, such as with the rocking fries, buttery mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. Still not worth the price unless you’re having the cheap burger.
The desserts (and my iced coffee) were really good and value for money though. The cake was way better than it looked and well worth it. Too bad they use Movenpick ice cream instead of Haagen Daaz. I likea the Haagen Daaz.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Buko Nero
C says:
Time certainly flies. Friday was Buko Nero night again, and this time we had:
Amuse Bouche: Ricotta cheese and Watermelon crostini
Melon, Rucola and Lamb Prosciutto Salad
Broccoli and Green Pea Soup
Lime and Plum Sherbet
A’s main: Rigatoni with Braised Cod and Salmon Ragu
C’s main: Wonton skin Ravioli with beef filling and red wine reduction sauce
Milk Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Toasted Almonds
The amuse bouche was quite refreshing thanks to the watermelon. The salad was great – the lamb prosciutto (parma ham) was surprisingly not that salty or strongly flavoured, just subtly smoky, and went perfectly with the sweet honeydew melon and peppery rocket. The soup was better than I expected, for a green pea soup, and the broccoli florets were nice and crunchy, not overcooked and mushy, but the soup was a tad too salty for my liking (cue Zhang Ziyi…).
A’s main was the standard set one, and while he liked it, it pretty much reinforced my view that I’ll always change the pasta dish in the set menu to either one of their specials, or a main course from the menu. The rigatoni was fine, tasted good and all, but it was nothing spectacular given that you know what Chef Oscar is capable of.
Like my ravioli, for example. I had this on our second visit to Buko Nero, before we started ‘atetoomuch’, and it was one of the dishes that sold me on this place. It was briefly on their fixed menu, and I was half hoping to be a pig and order it as a separate dish tonight, but to my dismay, it wasn’t on the menu anymore. Luck was definitely on my side though, because Tracy came and recited the specials for the night, and the ravioli was one of them! Woo hoo!! I think my joy was a little too evident though… think she got a bit freaked out… Anyway, the ravioli has a minced beef filling, and it uses wonton skin rather than pasta so it’s much lighter. It was served with some oyster and shitake mushrooms, and the sauce, which was a red wine reduction, was truly amazing. It was packed with so much flavour that your tastebuds just explode when you take the first bite.
Enjoyable as always. No luck so far in getting a reservation for September, because apparently they’re going away for a 3 week summer holiday, so all their regulars are trying to fit in one more meal before they shut down for 3 weeks. I’ll try calling again next week, but if unsuccessful, looks like we have to wait till October.
A says:
Food was good as usual. Prosciutto was the highlight for me. I had to go with the pasta this time cause I likea the salmon.
Our previous trip there
Time certainly flies. Friday was Buko Nero night again, and this time we had:
Amuse Bouche: Ricotta cheese and Watermelon crostini
Melon, Rucola and Lamb Prosciutto Salad
Broccoli and Green Pea Soup
Lime and Plum Sherbet
A’s main: Rigatoni with Braised Cod and Salmon Ragu
C’s main: Wonton skin Ravioli with beef filling and red wine reduction sauce
Milk Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Toasted Almonds
The amuse bouche was quite refreshing thanks to the watermelon. The salad was great – the lamb prosciutto (parma ham) was surprisingly not that salty or strongly flavoured, just subtly smoky, and went perfectly with the sweet honeydew melon and peppery rocket. The soup was better than I expected, for a green pea soup, and the broccoli florets were nice and crunchy, not overcooked and mushy, but the soup was a tad too salty for my liking (cue Zhang Ziyi…).
A’s main was the standard set one, and while he liked it, it pretty much reinforced my view that I’ll always change the pasta dish in the set menu to either one of their specials, or a main course from the menu. The rigatoni was fine, tasted good and all, but it was nothing spectacular given that you know what Chef Oscar is capable of.
Like my ravioli, for example. I had this on our second visit to Buko Nero, before we started ‘atetoomuch’, and it was one of the dishes that sold me on this place. It was briefly on their fixed menu, and I was half hoping to be a pig and order it as a separate dish tonight, but to my dismay, it wasn’t on the menu anymore. Luck was definitely on my side though, because Tracy came and recited the specials for the night, and the ravioli was one of them! Woo hoo!! I think my joy was a little too evident though… think she got a bit freaked out… Anyway, the ravioli has a minced beef filling, and it uses wonton skin rather than pasta so it’s much lighter. It was served with some oyster and shitake mushrooms, and the sauce, which was a red wine reduction, was truly amazing. It was packed with so much flavour that your tastebuds just explode when you take the first bite.
Enjoyable as always. No luck so far in getting a reservation for September, because apparently they’re going away for a 3 week summer holiday, so all their regulars are trying to fit in one more meal before they shut down for 3 weeks. I’ll try calling again next week, but if unsuccessful, looks like we have to wait till October.
A says:
Food was good as usual. Prosciutto was the highlight for me. I had to go with the pasta this time cause I likea the salmon.
Our previous trip there
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Botak Jones
C says:
Our burger obsession continues. On National Day, we had a leisurely workout at the gym in the evening, so since we were halfway up north (Thomson), we decided to try the infamous triple patty Botak Jones burger at Ang Mo Kio. This is a no-frills American food joint, with the first outlet way out West in Tuas, and a new, slightly more accessible outlet in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 (Block 608, at Yue Hua Food Court, for those interested). It’s an interesting concept – it seems to be nothing more than a cursory Western food stall at a typical food court, but it’s more like its own restaurant, with a very extensive menu and lots of polite and competent waitstaff.
A and I shared a small helping of their Whoopass Chili Con Carne, Stuffed Jalapenos, 3 BBQ chicken wings and their “U-Crazy-What?!” burger (seriously, that’s what it’s called in the menu) – three 150-gram beef patties towering precariously with some onions and tomatoes. Add-ons like cheese and bacon are optional, so we got it with just cheese. Just to give an indication of their prices, everything we ordered cost us $29 only, which is pretty much the price of just one burger at Uberburger. Sorry, but I can safely say that I’m NEVER going back to that place.
My favourite was the Chili. It was awesome. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good chili, or any chili really, and this one was right up my alley. Ground beef, slightly spicy, some tomato and pickle chunks, and topped with some diced onions. Not overloaded with annoying beans that seem to be present in so many chilis. The Stuffed Jalapenos were pretty good but not something I’ll order again. They’re quite filling, and I just ordered them to try what they were like. The wings were surprisingly good – they were nice and charred and the amount of sweet bbq sauce was just right, not slathered with sauce like some places.
The highlight was the burger, which was a lot better than I expected. I thought that it would just rely on its size to shock and impress, rather than its taste. Surprisingly, the beef patties were tender and weren’t dry. Next time we’ll share the Double though, the triple patty is just too much and too gelak. We ate till we were about to explode and still had to doggy bag some chicken wings and fries. There goes a good gym workout completely ruined…
We’ll definitely be back, cos I want more of the Chili. It’s only 5 minutes from the gym, so you can bet that in the near future, we’ll be negating yet another workout.
A says:
The sign says, “Damn good food at damn good prices” and I have to agree. The bun could have been better but the beef patties were great. We ordered the set which, for just $1 more, gives you loads of spicy fries and coleslaw. Definitely ordered and atetoomuch this time.
Just a heads up if you’re going for the first time, there are menus available at the stall to help you decide what to order. And look out for the jokes in the menu. Some of them are actually funny.
Our burger obsession continues. On National Day, we had a leisurely workout at the gym in the evening, so since we were halfway up north (Thomson), we decided to try the infamous triple patty Botak Jones burger at Ang Mo Kio. This is a no-frills American food joint, with the first outlet way out West in Tuas, and a new, slightly more accessible outlet in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 (Block 608, at Yue Hua Food Court, for those interested). It’s an interesting concept – it seems to be nothing more than a cursory Western food stall at a typical food court, but it’s more like its own restaurant, with a very extensive menu and lots of polite and competent waitstaff.
A and I shared a small helping of their Whoopass Chili Con Carne, Stuffed Jalapenos, 3 BBQ chicken wings and their “U-Crazy-What?!” burger (seriously, that’s what it’s called in the menu) – three 150-gram beef patties towering precariously with some onions and tomatoes. Add-ons like cheese and bacon are optional, so we got it with just cheese. Just to give an indication of their prices, everything we ordered cost us $29 only, which is pretty much the price of just one burger at Uberburger. Sorry, but I can safely say that I’m NEVER going back to that place.
My favourite was the Chili. It was awesome. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good chili, or any chili really, and this one was right up my alley. Ground beef, slightly spicy, some tomato and pickle chunks, and topped with some diced onions. Not overloaded with annoying beans that seem to be present in so many chilis. The Stuffed Jalapenos were pretty good but not something I’ll order again. They’re quite filling, and I just ordered them to try what they were like. The wings were surprisingly good – they were nice and charred and the amount of sweet bbq sauce was just right, not slathered with sauce like some places.
The highlight was the burger, which was a lot better than I expected. I thought that it would just rely on its size to shock and impress, rather than its taste. Surprisingly, the beef patties were tender and weren’t dry. Next time we’ll share the Double though, the triple patty is just too much and too gelak. We ate till we were about to explode and still had to doggy bag some chicken wings and fries. There goes a good gym workout completely ruined…
We’ll definitely be back, cos I want more of the Chili. It’s only 5 minutes from the gym, so you can bet that in the near future, we’ll be negating yet another workout.
A says:
The sign says, “Damn good food at damn good prices” and I have to agree. The bun could have been better but the beef patties were great. We ordered the set which, for just $1 more, gives you loads of spicy fries and coleslaw. Definitely ordered and atetoomuch this time.
Just a heads up if you’re going for the first time, there are menus available at the stall to help you decide what to order. And look out for the jokes in the menu. Some of them are actually funny.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Wild Rocket
C says:
We read about Wild Rocket’s burger in Chubby Hubby’s blog. It’s only available (for now) on the restaurant’s Sunday brunch menu, so we headed over on Sunday afternoon to check it out.
This is a pseudo-posh burger – no wagyu beef or anything, but definitely not an every day Carl’s Jr or Renaldo’s. The Wild Rocket burger was served with a peppery dressing (apparently inspired by Ramlee burgers), some rocket leaves and a spicy sun-dried tomato salsa. It was accompanied by some delicious sautéed diced potatoes, and some mixed greens with a dressing that tasted like chicken rice ginger/garlic sauce. It was an interesting alternative to salad dressing and it worked.
To me, everything in the burger was spot-on except for the salsa. The patty was thick and juicy, with the juices dribbling out with every bite. The peppery dressing and rocket leaves complemented each other well, but I had a slight problem with the salsa. Somehow it complicated the taste of the burger for me. I would have much preferred it without the salsa, and with a slice of cheese instead.
However, if you’re in the mood for a higher-end burger, this is pretty good; certainly a lot better than the sirloin burger we had at Uberburger. In fact, seems as though almost every burger we’ve had is better than the Uberburger one. Coincidence? I think not. Moral of the story? Forget Uberburger, it’s way overrated. Unless the $101 wagyu/foie gras burger is the only burger they do well, in which case we’ll never know. Sorry, I’m rambling…
We rounded off the meal with a pandan panna cotta to share. The plate was drizzed with gula melaka, and I was pleasantly surprised with this. The panna cotta was rich and creamy, and the pandan flavour fragrant without being cloying. Good thing we shared though, I think it’s a little too gelak to have on my own.
A says:
I always have high hopes when I come here because the reviews make the food sound unbelievable. Sad to say, while everything is excellent, it just doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
The burger had a very good, thick, beefy patty, but everything else about it left my simple palate confused. The side of potatoes grilled in duck fat was a pleasant surprise though. As was the dessert.
I’m sure I’ll go back because the burger still is really very good. Just don’t believe the hype.
We read about Wild Rocket’s burger in Chubby Hubby’s blog. It’s only available (for now) on the restaurant’s Sunday brunch menu, so we headed over on Sunday afternoon to check it out.
This is a pseudo-posh burger – no wagyu beef or anything, but definitely not an every day Carl’s Jr or Renaldo’s. The Wild Rocket burger was served with a peppery dressing (apparently inspired by Ramlee burgers), some rocket leaves and a spicy sun-dried tomato salsa. It was accompanied by some delicious sautéed diced potatoes, and some mixed greens with a dressing that tasted like chicken rice ginger/garlic sauce. It was an interesting alternative to salad dressing and it worked.
To me, everything in the burger was spot-on except for the salsa. The patty was thick and juicy, with the juices dribbling out with every bite. The peppery dressing and rocket leaves complemented each other well, but I had a slight problem with the salsa. Somehow it complicated the taste of the burger for me. I would have much preferred it without the salsa, and with a slice of cheese instead.
However, if you’re in the mood for a higher-end burger, this is pretty good; certainly a lot better than the sirloin burger we had at Uberburger. In fact, seems as though almost every burger we’ve had is better than the Uberburger one. Coincidence? I think not. Moral of the story? Forget Uberburger, it’s way overrated. Unless the $101 wagyu/foie gras burger is the only burger they do well, in which case we’ll never know. Sorry, I’m rambling…
We rounded off the meal with a pandan panna cotta to share. The plate was drizzed with gula melaka, and I was pleasantly surprised with this. The panna cotta was rich and creamy, and the pandan flavour fragrant without being cloying. Good thing we shared though, I think it’s a little too gelak to have on my own.
A says:
I always have high hopes when I come here because the reviews make the food sound unbelievable. Sad to say, while everything is excellent, it just doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
The burger had a very good, thick, beefy patty, but everything else about it left my simple palate confused. The side of potatoes grilled in duck fat was a pleasant surprise though. As was the dessert.
I’m sure I’ll go back because the burger still is really very good. Just don’t believe the hype.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Renaldo's (Crown Centre)
C says:
Once again, I have to give credit to my cousin C for yet another great recommendation. I would never have even stepped into this place, which is an apple strudel café at Crown Centre along Bukit Timah Road, if he hadn’t told us that it served good burgers.
After the Iggy’s burger, A and I have been in sort of a burger mood, so this is unofficially Burger Month. Thank goodness, for the sake of our waistlines and cholesterol levels, the month is coming to an end… We came here on Saturday night for dinner (they close at 9 so don’t come late) and each had their burger with the works – cheese, egg and bacon. A steal for only $5.50. A plain burger is just $3.80.
Maybe it’s because we came here without any expectations, but I was really very impressed with the burger. The meat was juicy, it was full of flavour because it was quite fatty, and the burger had just the right amount of chopped lettuce and tomato without being unwieldy and falling to pieces after the first bite (a la Carl’s Jr). I would have preferred the cheese to have been melted into the patty, but that’s just nitpicking. This was a simple, humble but very tasty burger, and I can honestly say that I preferred it to the Uberburger one. In fact, as far as burgers in Singapore go, I would rank this after the Iggy’s one, which is way up there in the Number 1 spot. However, we’re going to try the Wild Rocket one on Sunday so maybe I’ll change my mind.
There’s still a few more burger joints that we’d like to try, like the huge one from ‘Botak Jones’ and the trio of posh burgers at One Ninety. So maybe we won’t see an end to Burger Month just yet...
A says:
Very nice burger. Probably cause we added everything, and the meat had lots of fat. I assume getting a place isn’t a problem since it was nearly empty when we went and it’s more famous for the apple strudel anyway. Worth dropping by if you’re in the mood for an affordable, flavourful burger and some pastry dessert.
Once again, I have to give credit to my cousin C for yet another great recommendation. I would never have even stepped into this place, which is an apple strudel café at Crown Centre along Bukit Timah Road, if he hadn’t told us that it served good burgers.
After the Iggy’s burger, A and I have been in sort of a burger mood, so this is unofficially Burger Month. Thank goodness, for the sake of our waistlines and cholesterol levels, the month is coming to an end… We came here on Saturday night for dinner (they close at 9 so don’t come late) and each had their burger with the works – cheese, egg and bacon. A steal for only $5.50. A plain burger is just $3.80.
Maybe it’s because we came here without any expectations, but I was really very impressed with the burger. The meat was juicy, it was full of flavour because it was quite fatty, and the burger had just the right amount of chopped lettuce and tomato without being unwieldy and falling to pieces after the first bite (a la Carl’s Jr). I would have preferred the cheese to have been melted into the patty, but that’s just nitpicking. This was a simple, humble but very tasty burger, and I can honestly say that I preferred it to the Uberburger one. In fact, as far as burgers in Singapore go, I would rank this after the Iggy’s one, which is way up there in the Number 1 spot. However, we’re going to try the Wild Rocket one on Sunday so maybe I’ll change my mind.
There’s still a few more burger joints that we’d like to try, like the huge one from ‘Botak Jones’ and the trio of posh burgers at One Ninety. So maybe we won’t see an end to Burger Month just yet...
A says:
Very nice burger. Probably cause we added everything, and the meat had lots of fat. I assume getting a place isn’t a problem since it was nearly empty when we went and it’s more famous for the apple strudel anyway. Worth dropping by if you’re in the mood for an affordable, flavourful burger and some pastry dessert.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Iggy’s
C says:
A and I took leave to run a couple of errands on Thursday, so we decided to do a few things that can only be done on a weekday. One was to visit Mustafa Centre – it was my first time there… The other was to have Iggy’s weekday set lunch, after M’s recommendation.
Iggy’s is at Regent Hotel, and even though I’d read and heard about how small the place is, it still somehow didn’t prepare me for the tiny little establishment tucked away in a corner of the 3rd floor. An L-shaped bar-top counter faces the kitchen and sits about 15 or so, and there are another 2 private rooms – not sure what their capacities are but the head waiter said the entire place only sits 28 persons. He therefore recommends booking in advance because the place fills up quite quickly.
The weekday set lunches are apparently a very good deal, since the dinner degustation menu costs $150. For lunch, you get a 3-course for $45, or a 5-course tasting menu for $75. Thing is, while you can choose from about 6 selections EACH for the starter, main and dessert in the 3-course menu, for the tasting menu the 5 courses are fixed. The waiter did say that we can change any of the dishes with those in the 3-course list, but I figured that kinda defeated the purpose. So we both got the 3-course menu.
The complimentary amuse bouche was a shot glass with pumpkin puree and sesame tofu. The sesame oil gave it a nice fragrance but I would have preferred a little bit of bite to the tofu. It was completely pureed and was a bit too much like baby food for my liking.
For our starters, I had a capellini tossed with shrimp oil, tiny little dried shrimp, little bits of seaweed and fried garlic bits. It looked like a normal aglio olio, but the shrimp oil and dried shrimp took it to a completely different level. A had the mushroom ragout with a poached egg and truffle mayonnaise. This was tasty but slightly on the boring side. The mushroom ragout had button and morel mushrooms, and it was saved by the perfectly done poached egg.
After reading so much about Iggy’s burger, we both decided to have this as our main course, mainly because I didn’t think A would want to share his with me… Boy, I’m glad we each had our own. Firstly, it’s tiny and almost impossible to eat with anything besides your bare hands (they give you a wet towel cos you’re expected to be barbaric), so dividing with a fork and knife would have been out of the question. Secondly, after the initial disappointment at its size (it’s a minute 3 inches in diameter in total, and the patty is even smaller), the first bite just sent us right to burger heaven. Without doubt, this is the best and most flavourful burger I’ve ever had, bar none.
The patty is minced wagyu beef, which explains both the flavour and the melt-in-your-mouth texture and juiciness. It’s served with a slice of tomato, some caramelized onions, some melted cheese and a truffle sabayon (fancy name for a whisked egg and cream mixture). It was so juicy that I had to keep wiping my hands off on the wet towel, the beef flavour was really intense, and the truffle mayo added an even greater depth of flavour.
Dessert was another winner. A had the foolproof molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream, which was typical and boring, yes, but still very good. The vanilla bean ice cream was excellent. I had the banana tarte tatin with banana ice cream, and I think this was much better than the chocolate cake. The puff pastry of the tarte was incredibly light, flaky and buttery, and the bananas were soft and slightly caramelised. You would think that serving it with banana ice cream would just be OTT-ing on banana, but it was a surprisingly good pairing.
All in all, we were extremely happy after lunch. We weren’t bloated, and although the place had its fair share of chi chi tai tais and the like, we didn’t feel that much like fish out of water, and more importantly, the waiter didn’t make us feel as though we didn’t belong. A and I are already thinking of when we can next take leave and go again, heh.
A says:
The burger RAWKED! The Java Vanilla ice-cream RAWKED! The starters were excellent but not RAWK-worthy. Neither was the $10 OJ or the latte (Note to self: try the cappuccino next time).
Having everyone refer to us as Sir and Madame takes a bit of getting used to, but service wasn’t stuck up. Also, Iggy was there and he doesn’t look snotty at all. Nice, friendly approachable chap. Will definitely go back next time we’re on leave on a weekday.
A and I took leave to run a couple of errands on Thursday, so we decided to do a few things that can only be done on a weekday. One was to visit Mustafa Centre – it was my first time there… The other was to have Iggy’s weekday set lunch, after M’s recommendation.
Iggy’s is at Regent Hotel, and even though I’d read and heard about how small the place is, it still somehow didn’t prepare me for the tiny little establishment tucked away in a corner of the 3rd floor. An L-shaped bar-top counter faces the kitchen and sits about 15 or so, and there are another 2 private rooms – not sure what their capacities are but the head waiter said the entire place only sits 28 persons. He therefore recommends booking in advance because the place fills up quite quickly.
The weekday set lunches are apparently a very good deal, since the dinner degustation menu costs $150. For lunch, you get a 3-course for $45, or a 5-course tasting menu for $75. Thing is, while you can choose from about 6 selections EACH for the starter, main and dessert in the 3-course menu, for the tasting menu the 5 courses are fixed. The waiter did say that we can change any of the dishes with those in the 3-course list, but I figured that kinda defeated the purpose. So we both got the 3-course menu.
The complimentary amuse bouche was a shot glass with pumpkin puree and sesame tofu. The sesame oil gave it a nice fragrance but I would have preferred a little bit of bite to the tofu. It was completely pureed and was a bit too much like baby food for my liking.
For our starters, I had a capellini tossed with shrimp oil, tiny little dried shrimp, little bits of seaweed and fried garlic bits. It looked like a normal aglio olio, but the shrimp oil and dried shrimp took it to a completely different level. A had the mushroom ragout with a poached egg and truffle mayonnaise. This was tasty but slightly on the boring side. The mushroom ragout had button and morel mushrooms, and it was saved by the perfectly done poached egg.
After reading so much about Iggy’s burger, we both decided to have this as our main course, mainly because I didn’t think A would want to share his with me… Boy, I’m glad we each had our own. Firstly, it’s tiny and almost impossible to eat with anything besides your bare hands (they give you a wet towel cos you’re expected to be barbaric), so dividing with a fork and knife would have been out of the question. Secondly, after the initial disappointment at its size (it’s a minute 3 inches in diameter in total, and the patty is even smaller), the first bite just sent us right to burger heaven. Without doubt, this is the best and most flavourful burger I’ve ever had, bar none.
The patty is minced wagyu beef, which explains both the flavour and the melt-in-your-mouth texture and juiciness. It’s served with a slice of tomato, some caramelized onions, some melted cheese and a truffle sabayon (fancy name for a whisked egg and cream mixture). It was so juicy that I had to keep wiping my hands off on the wet towel, the beef flavour was really intense, and the truffle mayo added an even greater depth of flavour.
Dessert was another winner. A had the foolproof molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream, which was typical and boring, yes, but still very good. The vanilla bean ice cream was excellent. I had the banana tarte tatin with banana ice cream, and I think this was much better than the chocolate cake. The puff pastry of the tarte was incredibly light, flaky and buttery, and the bananas were soft and slightly caramelised. You would think that serving it with banana ice cream would just be OTT-ing on banana, but it was a surprisingly good pairing.
All in all, we were extremely happy after lunch. We weren’t bloated, and although the place had its fair share of chi chi tai tais and the like, we didn’t feel that much like fish out of water, and more importantly, the waiter didn’t make us feel as though we didn’t belong. A and I are already thinking of when we can next take leave and go again, heh.
A says:
The burger RAWKED! The Java Vanilla ice-cream RAWKED! The starters were excellent but not RAWK-worthy. Neither was the $10 OJ or the latte (Note to self: try the cappuccino next time).
Having everyone refer to us as Sir and Madame takes a bit of getting used to, but service wasn’t stuck up. Also, Iggy was there and he doesn’t look snotty at all. Nice, friendly approachable chap. Will definitely go back next time we’re on leave on a weekday.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Shimbashi Soba
C says:
This is yet another outlet in the Kuriya chain (they who run Ichibanboshi), who seem to be taking over the world just as Crystal Jade are… I haven’t had much luck with ordering Zaru Soba recently – for some reason, most of the Japanese joints I’ve been to lately have either run out, or stopped selling it altogether (Amanogawa at the new Raffles City Marketplace).
We actually wanted to go to a different Japanese restaurant at Paragon, but it had been taken over by Toys R Us. I was about to wail at my arse luck yet again, when I suddenly remembered seeing the restaurant in the basement dedicated to soba, so we decided to give it a try.
Of course, my luck had to run out at SOME point, because the dish that I wanted, a cold soba with a duck broth dipping sauce, was out of stock. Thanks to bird flu, they’ve been having some problems with their suppliers so no duck on the menu for the time being. So I ordered a simple cold soba with the classic dipping sauce, and A had a cold spicy beef soba.
The place mats have detailed and rather hilarious instructions on how to savour a traditional cold soba. Things like “when it first arrives, look at it for a moment, and breathe in its fresh fragrance”. I tried to do all the steps to A’s embarrassment, heh. Anyway, clowning around aside, my cold soba craving was finally satiated. Although there was no quail’s egg, this was one of the best cold sobas I’ve had in a very long time. Unlike the one at Ichinaboshi and Kuriya, the dipping sauce here retained its flavour to the last strand of noodle. At the end of the meal, they even give you a small jar of Soba-yu (the water used to cook the noodle), which you’re supposed to pour into the leftover dipping sauce and savour it as a broth.
A big bonus was the fact that we were seated right next to the soba-making room, and we had a perfect view of the soba noodle chef strutting his stuff. We managed to catch him making a batch of soba from scratch – all the way from measuring the flour, kneading the dough, to rolling it out paper thin and cutting it into perfectly even threads of noodles, all by hand. It was a pretty awesome sight.
Apparently, they expect to have their duck supply ironed out by next month. Maybe I’ll give them a month to sort themselves out, and make my way there again in September.
A says:
Soba so good. Gotta love the copywriter/marketer who sold that line. The food and service are decent enough. Catch the noodle show’s finale (noodle cutting) if you can.
This is yet another outlet in the Kuriya chain (they who run Ichibanboshi), who seem to be taking over the world just as Crystal Jade are… I haven’t had much luck with ordering Zaru Soba recently – for some reason, most of the Japanese joints I’ve been to lately have either run out, or stopped selling it altogether (Amanogawa at the new Raffles City Marketplace).
We actually wanted to go to a different Japanese restaurant at Paragon, but it had been taken over by Toys R Us. I was about to wail at my arse luck yet again, when I suddenly remembered seeing the restaurant in the basement dedicated to soba, so we decided to give it a try.
Of course, my luck had to run out at SOME point, because the dish that I wanted, a cold soba with a duck broth dipping sauce, was out of stock. Thanks to bird flu, they’ve been having some problems with their suppliers so no duck on the menu for the time being. So I ordered a simple cold soba with the classic dipping sauce, and A had a cold spicy beef soba.
The place mats have detailed and rather hilarious instructions on how to savour a traditional cold soba. Things like “when it first arrives, look at it for a moment, and breathe in its fresh fragrance”. I tried to do all the steps to A’s embarrassment, heh. Anyway, clowning around aside, my cold soba craving was finally satiated. Although there was no quail’s egg, this was one of the best cold sobas I’ve had in a very long time. Unlike the one at Ichinaboshi and Kuriya, the dipping sauce here retained its flavour to the last strand of noodle. At the end of the meal, they even give you a small jar of Soba-yu (the water used to cook the noodle), which you’re supposed to pour into the leftover dipping sauce and savour it as a broth.
A big bonus was the fact that we were seated right next to the soba-making room, and we had a perfect view of the soba noodle chef strutting his stuff. We managed to catch him making a batch of soba from scratch – all the way from measuring the flour, kneading the dough, to rolling it out paper thin and cutting it into perfectly even threads of noodles, all by hand. It was a pretty awesome sight.
Apparently, they expect to have their duck supply ironed out by next month. Maybe I’ll give them a month to sort themselves out, and make my way there again in September.
A says:
Soba so good. Gotta love the copywriter/marketer who sold that line. The food and service are decent enough. Catch the noodle show’s finale (noodle cutting) if you can.
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