Blueangel's Makan Place

The Villa Bali - August 9, 2008

2008-08-11T00:47:00.004+08:00

After dinner at Kha, we took a stroll to the nearby 'Little Bali' for drinks, considered the cocktails at Kha are pretty pricy too haa...

Villa Bali, a Balinese Chill Out Bar, is a nice place for unwinding the tired souls or making comfortable chats over some martini or wine, be it in the house or out in the garden.

Mojito ($12)

Bacardi Rum, lime juice, mint leaves, brown sugar, lime wedges and soda... An interesting combination but a bit too minty for my liking. It has a refreshing beginning but ends with a slight bitter aftertaste.

China Blue ($12)

Bolslychee Liqueur, midori and grapefruit juice... Lovely blue color, with 2 lychees and a cherry... Definitely a safe drink to order for the sweet tooth haa... but the alcohol content is definitely weak for the better drinkers.

Here's a shot with flash...Cheers!

By the way, we had a dessert to share too...Durian Sticky Rice ($10)

Durian puree over warm sweetened glutinous rice and coconut cream is something different from the usual mango slices and sticky rice. Thou' I always like durian, I would prefer mango for this dessert. Perhaps the durian puree was too sweet while mango, on the other hand, has a tinge of sourness which make it a better company for the sweet sticky rice...

My verdict..
Food - 7/10
Service - 6/10
Ambience - 8/10
Value for $$$ - 7/10

Address: 9A Lock Road S(108937)
Contact: 6473 6763
Website: http://www.littlebali.com

Kha, Hort Park - August 9, 2008

2008-08-10T23:10:00.005+08:00

It was Singapore 43rd Birthday, a good cause for celebration isn't it? haha So I started my day with "The Mummy Return III". I have no qualms about the acting skills of my favourite actors, Brendan Fraser and Jet Li, but I was utterly disappointed with the story plot...perhaps too far fetched for my liking. Nonetheless, I survived the close to 2hrs show with nacho and cheese.

We moved on to the 2nd activity of the day. Our treking along the Southern Ridges began with an arduous flight of stairs from the foot of Mt Faber Park, then the Henderson Waves, Treetop Walk, Alexandra Arch, and lastly the Hort Park. The final destination of the Southen Ridges was the Kent Ridge Park but we decided to end our treking at the Hort Park for dinner.

In the lushes of greens, Kha is a Thai restaruant that set out to create a stylish chic and an uptown ambience. This is well reflected in their prices too haa..

Tom Yum Goong ($15)

Hot and sour broth with king prawn and lemongrass... There are 3 levels of spiciness for the soup...Normal, Spicy & Extra Spicy. Feeling a bit adventurous, I opted for the Extra Spicy which didn't exactly live up to its name. Nonetheless, the soup was nice and refreshing. But, it was definitely overpriced...for a single king prawn swimming in loneliness with a few pathetic straw mushrooms...

Phad Thai ($18)

Stir fried rice noodles with grilled prawn, tofu and banana blossom salad... One of the most expensive Phad Thai I have ever tried, but I must admit it was good! The banana blossom salad was an unique addition, giving the noodles a bit of crunchiness.

Pla Meuk ($21)

Steamed squids stuffed with sweet and sour pork, topped with mango/papaya salad... The texture of the squids were just nice, not too stiff nor dry. The minced meat was well marinated too. Together with the spicy and sour sauce, this is a very appetite-whetting dish that goes well with white rice.

My final verdict...
Food - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Ambience - 8/10
Value for $$$ - 5/10

Address: Hort Park, 33 Hyderabad Road #02-02 S(119578)
Contact: 6476 9000
Website: http://www.kha.sg

Dessert Hut, People Park Centre - July 18, 2008

2008-07-20T18:25:00.016+08:00

It has been quite a while since our last 'venture' (lunching beyond the Bendeemeer Food Centre opposite office) and with some cravings (Mr V.Chua & mine haha) for glutinous rice balls (汤圆) in peanuts soups...the lunch khaki soon found ourselves clustering around a small round table at the Dessert Hut in PPC after a snappy lunch of the famous curry chicken noodles, prawn mee & kway chaps at Hong Lim Food Centre...oh yes, special thanks to Mr N.Lau's recommendation hee...

We were spoilt for choices...so many desserts and the 'worst' thing was...everything look so tempting (to me at least)! Haha... Here's a quick glance of the menu...

Glutinous rice balls in peanut soup is a Must on our dessert list (afterall it's the agenda of today venture haha). It is called 'Ah Boling' on their menu. According to my dad, 'Ah Boling' means duck eggs in Teochew, perhaps the shape, size and color of the rice balls resemble the duck eggs. The Dessert Hut offers 2 types of fillings for its rice balls...black sesame & peanuts. PS. there is a famous 'Ah Boling' stall at Amoy Food Centre (2nd level) that provides more varieties such as red bean and yam.

I went for the black sesame filling, which was smooth and fragrant. The rice dumpling skin was however a bit disappointing as I expecting a thinner one than this. Nonetheless, the peanut soup made amends with its soft and huge peanuts. The soup was boiled with the right degree of sweetness too. On the whole, the Ah boling was not too bad but I have tried better ones.. [My rating: 7/10]

All of us went for the rice balls in peanut soup except Mr K. Soh who chose their Iced Red Bean Drink. I had a spoonful of sample which consisted red bean, corns & shaved ice with brown sugar syrup. The red beans were soft and pleasingly sweet. This is a lovely dessert for a hot weather. [My rating: 7/10]

As a Teochew, I have always loved sweeten yam paste so when I saw the Yam Cream on the menu, I couldn't help but to order a bowl to try (thou' I was kinda full after 3 rice balls but no worries..I know Mr Chua will assist in clearing this hahaha). The yam cream was pretty fluid and not overly sweetened but somehow I felt it was lacking in something. It wasn't 'yammy' enough for my liking haha I think the yam taste could be richer for this dessert. One thing to mention...the generous serving of gingko nuts in the yam paste. Judging from the quality of these gingko, I reckon these were not canned gingko, thus made my $2.50 more well spent haa.. [My rating: 7/10]

In a nutshell, this is a simple dessert shop with no fancy decor but a nice place for a quick after-meal sweet treat. Maybe I will try their Mango Sago & Walnut Cream if I drop by here again.

Venue: People Park Centre #02-48/58
Contact: 6533 1137

Astons Specialities, The Cathay - July 15, 2008

2008-07-16T23:19:00.010+08:00

Yesterday we caught Hellboy II: The Golden Army at Plaza Sing after work. Though not a '5 popcorns' movie, the battle between Red & Price Nuada was still quite engaging. It was 9pm when the 2hrs show ended. Finally, we could have dinner or supper rather...

Astons Specialities is a value for $$$ eatery that serves reasonable good food. I had a meal at their main outlet (@ East Coast road) last year so I decided to try out their new outlet located at the Cathay.

The simple decor pales in comparision to the one at East Coast which uses tinted colored glass lamps and comfortable partitions for making private chats. Here is the menu hung outside the restaurant. (Click on the picture to enlarge)

I tried their grilled fish with herbs on the previous occasion...vaguely recalled that I find the fish a bit bland. So this time, I ordered their Pork Chops and chose lighter side dishes to go with the meat.

2 pieces of sizable pork chop with pasta salad and warm garden veggie (S$8.90). The meat sauce was savory but the meat was a bit on the stiff side. The pasta was decently prepared with the right firmness, oil dressing and black peppers. [My rating: 7/10]

Healthy and almost oil-less garden veggies of brocoli & baby carrots...

On the other hand, my bf ordered their Hickory BBQ Chicken and had onion rings and house salad to go with the main. (S$6.50) The piquant BBQ sauce further adds flavor to the well-grilled succulent chicken steak while the juicy sweet tomatoes in garden greens and crispy onion rings made the meal even more delightful. [My rating: 8.5/10]

Overall, it was a pleasant dinner/supper. Good foods, affordable prices (only GST, no service charge), friendly attendants...I'm certainly coming back to try their other specialities.

Venue: 2 Handy Road, #04-03, The Cathay S(229233)
Contact: +65 6887 5889

Majestic Restaurant, New Majestic Hotel - June 1, 2008

2008-06-29T22:13:00.038+08:00

It was his Nth birthday (well, age can be a secret for men too haa..) so I treated him to a nice dinner. My helpful 'neighbour' gave a few great suggestions and I eventually chose the Majestic Restaurant located in the New Majestic Hotel.

It was a chinese restaurant with a sleek modern look. Although the restaurant wasn't huge, it managed to exude a classy air with chandeliers, smoothing green hues and posh cutlery.

As I had done my 'homework' earlier, it wasn't long before we settled for their degustation menus A & B, both a 6-course set dinner that commences with an appetitizer and ends with a dessert. Alas, the photos were not very clear this time as they were taken under dim lights. As a considerate patron, I decided no flash to be used under the tranquilizing ambience haa... By the way, there are 3 glass 'windows' on the ceiling where you can see through to the swimming pool situated directly above the restaurant.

Degustation Menu A ($65 per person)

The appetitizer for Menu A was originally the (牛舌牛腱野菜) sliced ox tongue and beef shank with mixed salad but I wasn't adventurous enough to try the ox tongue so I had it replaced with their braised goose which tasted like duck meat. The meat was tender but the fat beneath the skin was pretty thick. Still, it was a nice starter to whet the appetizer. [My rating: 7/10]

Next, it was the (鲨鱼骨菜胆炖翅) shark’s bone soup with shark’s fin and beijing cabbage. The soup had a rich milky taste...I wondered if they added milk to it cos' there is a 'sticky' aftertaste. Other than 2 stiff cabbage stems and a few chunky pieces of shark's fin, the chef added wolfberries, perhaps to add some color to the soup. [My rating: 7/10]

The third item was the (奶柠大虾伴蟹钳) Fried king prawn and crab claw with creamy milk and lime sauce. I was kinda disappointed with this dish as I felt the king prawn was overly fried that the meat shrunk to an unsatisfying size (it was supposed to be king size isn't it?). The crab claw did not meet my expectation too. It was about the same size as the battered prawn and I barely tasted any lime in the sauce. [My rating: 5/10]

The fourth item - (梅菜蒸鲈鱼) Steamed fillet of sea perch with dried leaf mustards in superior soya sauce. For a simple steamed dish, this is GOOD, especially after the earlier fried dish. The sea perch tasted like cod fish, very sweet and soft. The 'dried' leaf mustards complemented the fish like a match made in heaven! Sounds very dramatic...I know..haa..but I can't find better words to describe my liking for this dish. The only complaint I have is the portion of serving haha [My rating: 9/10]

Now the last main before the dessert - (小小鲍鱼焖麵) Stewed noodles with baby abalone and truffle oil. This is another delectable dish. The truffle oil gave the handmade noodles an unique fragrance, while the minced vegetables (think it's cai xin, 菜心) balanced the rich savory sauce.

Wonder where were the baby abalones? Here's a close-up shot after 'consolidation' haa...Thou' petite, they preserved the chewy texture of the big abalones... [My rating: 8/10]

Lastly, I had Fried durian ice-cream with mango sauce for the sweet ending. There is no fixed dessert of the day, you can choose your favourite from their dessert menu but it was not easy to make a choice too as all 'look' very tempting from the descriptions!

The fried batter was very light and crispy yet the ice-cream remained pretty solidified. The mango sauce was a good subsitute from the usual chocolate or strawberry sauce. This was one of the most delightful desserts I have ever tried. The Best Fried ice-cream I have ever eaten! Unless u hate durians to the core, you MUST try this dessert! ($8 for alacarte order). Even my bf who doesn't fancy durian, liked this more than his mango dessert (introduced in Menu B). [My rating: 10/10]

Degustation Menu B ($85 per person)

The first item served was (鲑鱼塔塔野菜) the Salmon tatare with mixed salad in soya vinegarette. I am not quite into raw stuff but I was attracted by its presentation to do a bit of sampling haa...fresh minced salmon with rockets...soft yet crispy in between the chews...not bad...I like the rockets haha [My rating: 7/10]

Next, (大華煲仔蟹肉翅) the majestic claypot shark’s fin soup with crabmeat was served. The broth tasted slightly different from the usual shark's fin soup. I think they added pumpkin to enhance the flavour of the soup. Generous sharkfin chunks accompanied with bean sprouts and corriandors...yum yum...[My rating: 8/10]

The third item was our favourite of menu B (东瀛芥茉虾拼鹅肝片皮鸭) - a combination of crispy wasabi prawn, peking duck and pan-seared foie gras!

Now where is the foie gras??

There you are! hidden by the crispy peking duck skin haa... Not a very big slice but compensated by its reasonable thickness. The foie gras is very well pan-fried...crisp on the outside yet soft in the inside. The taste is so good...so smooth...so divine! The wasabi prawn is fantastic too. The piquant sauce is balanced by sweet mango bits and a refreshing watermelon base...this is the taste of happiness haha [My rating: 10/10]

The (原只南非鮑鱼豆腐) Braised south african whole abalone with homemade beancurd and garden green was the next luxury served. I was disappointed with the size of the abalone haa but the texture was as good as the bigger ones. The tofu was soft and delectable too. [My rating: 8/10]

The last main was the (镬仔煎牛柳) Pan-seared fillet of rib-eye in homemade sesame sauce. I was expecting a steak-sized but the beef was very thinly sliced. Overall, it was still tantalizing with the unique sesame sauce. [My rating: 7/10]

Finally...the dessert...he chose the Mango puree with sago, pomelo & mango bits. It was refreshing chilly dessert. There was a pleasant surprise in the cup too...a ball of vanilla ice-cream...haha [My rating: 9/10]

Overall, we felt their degustation set dinners are pretty good, but slightly pricy for the quantity haha...but this was compensated by the quality and exquisiteness of the food. The service was prompt but I think the waitresses could put on even broader smiles.

As we stepped out of the restaurant, the rustic fans caught my attention...an interesting contrast from the modern ceiling next to it...

And the hotel view...
Venue: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road S(089845)
Tel: 6511 4718 http://www.newmajestichotel.com/

Crystal Jade Kitchen (Part II) - May 25, 2005

2008-06-01T02:06:00.008+08:00

After a tiring day of ushering through the sardine-packed expo on the last day of the Food Fair 2008, my dad decided on Crystal Jade Kitchen (at Jurong Point) for dinner again. We ordered different dishes from our last visit, 2 of which I have briefly mentioned in my previous blog(http://doromakanplace.blogspot.com/2008/05/crystal-jade-kitchen-jurong-point-may-1.html)

Diced chicken with cashew nut in salad dressing ($11.50)

Tender chicken chunks with crunchy cashew nuts reminded me of the familiar diced chicken with dried chili (宫保鸡丁)... Of course, the difference lies in the sauce used...the salad dressing used in this dish is savory yet it has a tinge of sweetness. [My rating: 7.5/10]

Deep fried prawn with salted egg yolk ($18)

What can I said more about this 'luscious' dish...fresh huge prawns coated with my favourite salted egg yolk...easily melts the hearts of the most tricky taste buds. The only complaint I have is the price of the dish...$3 per 'golden' prawn! I wish they could add a few more to the plate haa... [My rating: 9.5/10]

Braised Chilled Beancurd with Sliced BBQ Pork Belly ($14.80)

The wrinkled-looking beancurd is the result of a 'freeze-thaw' action. The end-product tasted more like taupok (deep fried dried beancurd) which has absorbed the braised sauce like a sponge. I find the dish a bit salty but perhaps it was meant to be salty so that it will go very well with a bowl of white rice. The pork belly was not too bad but I felt the meat was too thinly sliced so it lost some chewiness. [My rating: 6.5/10]

Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Wanton in Claypot ($12.80)

Lastly, we had a soup to complete the meal. The claypot with chinese cabbages, 4 wantons & a quarter chicken was a reasonable portion for 3-4 pax. The soup looked creamy but it didn't have a very milky taste. I felt the chicken soup will taste better if it has a richer taste. [My rating: 6.5/10]

For details of Crystal Jade restaurants, pls refer to my earlier blog.

Rama Thai Sharksfin - May 10, 2008

2008-05-25T22:36:00.025+08:00

For this year Mother's day celebration, I decided to bring my mum to Rama Thai, a restaurant that serves Teochew & Thai cuisine. My mum has always wanted to try out their famous claypot sharkfin ever since she caught their advertistment on the TV.

We reached the restaurant around 630pm. It was not very packed but I was glad to make a reservation as a queue gradually built up outside the small restaurant. The first item on our order list was of course their famous Braised Whole Sharksfin with Crabmeat (promotional rate - $28 per pot, usual - $40) served in a claypot.

Looking at piping hot sharkfins & noticeable amount of real crab meat in bubbling gravy...how can one be not tempted to start picking up their chopsticks immediately! Yes chopsticks is the primary cultery used for savouring the sharkfins while Spoon becomes secondary in consuming the soup. Haha.

The sharkfin was in big chunky pieces, firm between the chopsticks yet melt in the mouth. The gravy was savoury & thick yet not starchy. We were also provided with corianders & white bean spouts, optional garnishes if you like to add some crispness to the sharkfin soup. With dashes of peppers & black vinegars, we finished the soup till the last drop...simply one of the best sharkfins we ever tried. My mum & dad were full of praises for it. Thanks to my mum, my sister & brother got to enjoy a claypot each too (my poor pockets...)

Soon after we finished our claypots, the Teochew Steamed Garoupa ($48) was served.

It has been a long while since I last tried this authentic teochew dish. It was a familiar home-cooked taste...brought back the memories of my grandma. She was a great cook and always prepared this steamed fish for the annual reunion dinner. Back to the fish, it was very fresh. In my (& my dad's) opinion, fresh Garoupa is best prepared using the Steam method so you can really taste the fish's sweetness. The flesh was so soft that you can save your jaws from the chewing exercise. haa.. The Teochew style steamed fish did a great job in stimulating the taste buds with sour plums, salted vegetables & spicy chilli padi. The clear soup (from the steamed fish) was also good to go with a bowl of white rice.

Next, the vegetable was served. We had Kang Kong stirred fried with Thai Chili ($12), a variation from the usual sambal chili. The Thai sauce was not too spicy nor sour, went very well with the water spinach.

Stirred fried Garlic Crayfish ($35 for 5) was next on the line. It was not too bad but could be better. I found the crayfish meat a bit stiff but compensated by the fragrant deep fried garlic generously tossed over dish.

Finally, the second highlight (after the Sharkfin) of the dinner...

...Baked Whole Crab with Vermicelli! Though I felt it was kinda pricey to pay $80 for one crab, the dish proved itself worthy of the cost. The crab was baked without strong condiments, but it easily enticed the taste buds with its natural sweetness. The crab meat was very fresh & succulent. Behind its striking red shell, lay a bed of alluring roe, so much so that it was enough for the 5 of us to get a good portion! The vermicelli was quite nice too; fried with some braised sauce to the right degree of elasticity.

After we finished the crab (which was thoughtfully served last), the captain brought a separate dessert menu. Since it was a Thai-Chinese restaurant, it has the all time favourites such as the Thai glutinous rice with sweet mango, red ruby ice, cooling 'guilin gao' (herbal jelly) & dumpling soup. What surprised me is their exquisite selection of gelato.

After much deliberation, we chose the 'Coppa Blanco', red ruby desset and bird's nest for my mum and dad.

Coppa Blanco ($7.50), a casting of Giandula gelato with a centre of vanilla bean ice cream, rolled in crushed hazelnut and nougat...nice!

Lucky Red Ruby ($4.50) Beneath the 'crystal ball' (ice), lay the precious red gem (crunchy dyed-red water chestnut morsels) in creamy sweet coconut...very cooling to the heart indeed.

Bird's Nest ($30 per bowl)...my mum's favourite...so glad that the restaurant was having a 1-for-1 promo on the Bird's Nest so that my dad could have the complimentary bowl which slightly reduced the damage to my wallet.

Overall it was a very sumptuous and satisfying meal but the damages was not clearly not small. I added $436 to my May credit card bill at the end of the day. However when I saw at the contented looks on my parents, it definitely worthed the price :)

My final verdict...
Food - 9/10
Service - 8/10
Ambience - 6/10
Value for $$$ - 7/10

Address: 81-81A Tanjong Pagar Road S(088502)
Tel: 6222 6626, 6222 1239
Website: http://www.ramathai.com.sg/menu.htm

OchaCha, Raffles City Shopping Centre - May 5, 2008

2008-05-10T13:57:00.014+08:00

It was a very warm day. While waiting for my bf to appear, I decided to seek refuge in the cooling shopping centre. As I explored the newer shops inside Raffles City, I spotted this cafe with a big 'O' signboard at the basement level.

As the name suggests, the selling point of Ochacha is their Japanese green tea (Ocha) fusion drinks. As a green tea lover, how can I give it a miss. haa.. (I was thirsty for a chilly drink anyway). The cafe is simple & small but gives a comfortable feeling under the soothing colors of green and white.

Friendly waiters and waitresses behind the counter will greet you as you step into the cafe. It is a self-service concept like Coffeebean or Starbuck and they have a mini glass counter displaying sandwiches & light japanese snacks.

I was kinda full from lunch so I just ordered a freezie but I noticed that most of their patrons ordered the green tea panna cotta (pudding) and/or the matcha cotton (a cross b/w muffin & sponge cake) so they must be pretty nice. Hmm..will try that on my next visit. Ok, let's take a look at the drinks menu (click on the pic for an enlarged view)...

Under the waiter's recommendation, I ordered the Azuki Freezie, one of most popular drinks. It was green tea with red bean, vanilla ice blended drink...Costed me $7.70 after GST (note: prices on the menu are GST excluded). I felt it was a little bit pricy but it was a lovely drink!

Neither sticky nor too sweet (unlike the Pure Vanilla ice-blended of Coffeebean); it is very smooth with light green tea & red bean aroma. As I took the first sip, the TV advert came to my mind..."relax...choya.." hahaha Maybe it was just so soothing under the hot sun but the fusion was simply wonderful...so far, the best ice blended drink I have ever tried.

I will definitely return to OchaCha to try their other drinks if I drop by RCSC.

Venue: #B1-445 Raffles City 252 North Bridge Road
Tel: 6333 5886

Crystal Jade Kitchen, Jurong Point - May 1, 2008

2008-05-01T20:59:00.011+08:00

The hole in my pocket just got a little bigger today...went for retail therapy. Sounds like a great way to begin the first day of May right? haha... Finally I'll be getting my first pair of transition lens in a week+...hopefully it helps to decelerate the formation of wrinkles around the eyes since it's supposed to block the harmful UV rays. After paying 50% deposit ($140) for the spec, I accompanied my mum to shop for her new shoes & dress for a coming wedding banquet. It was a 1.5 hr of fruitless search before we gave in to my dad's growling stomach & my mum's poor tired feet (mine as well). Well, I decided to give my hardworking parents & myself a nice treat at Crystal Jade Kitchen afterall it's labour day. Haa..

So we found ourselves settled comfortably in the restaurant around 630pm. Since my mum was having some coughs, we went for the lighter dishes...except for the first dish...hee...

Their Signature Roasted Pork ($11.20). I felt a bit guilty when I was ordering this (my mum's favourite) but as I put the first piece into my mouth, I knew it was a right choice. Haha. Lived up to their reputation as one of the signature dishes, the pork skin was so crispy that you can hear the crunchy sound in every bite! The meat however remained juicy & chewy, well balanced with fatty layers yet not oily...very well roasted indeed. The dish was served with mustard but I preferred the roasted pork on its own.

The next dish served was the Poached Vegetables with 2 types of Egg in Superior Stock. ($14.80) I thought they should call it 3 types of eggs instead...Spinach stired fried with century egg, yellow salted egg and normal chicken egg. Yep, very eggy indeed (pls forget the cholesterol level for a moment) but overall still tasted light with the veggie & stock. This is one of my favourite veggie dish...maybe because it has all the 3 type of eggs I love. hee..

The next healthier dish was the Steamed Live Prawn with Egg White & Soya Bean ($16.80). Egg white + Soya Bean milk taste like the usual 'dao huay', except that the sugar syrup was replaced by light soya sauce. I think I will prefer the dessert 'dao huay' to this dish; it was a bit bland for my taste.

Minutes later, the last dish came...Stewed Mixed Vege with vermicelli & Taro sauce in claypot ($10.80)

So piping hot in the claypot that the steam fogged the lens for a while...let's take a closer look...

Ok I know, it looked like a messy rojak of veggie which doesn't appeal much. haha But it goes really well with white rice. I thought taro sauce = yam sauce but the stew didn't have any yam flavor in it. It tasted more like 'Fu Ru' (fermented beancurd cubes), a side dish/appetizer that Teochews like to go with the white porridge. Being a Teochew, this dish with a good variety of nutritious vege (carrot, black & white fungus, beancurd stick, xiao bai cai etc) was much to my liking. My dad had another bowl of rice to go with it too hee..

My other recommendations (dishes which I had tried on previous occasions):

Live Prawn sauteed with salted egg yolk ($16.00) - die die must try! The fresh prawns are deep-fried till the shells become golden crispy, then toss with salted egg yolk. Simply addictive!

Diced Chicken with Cashew nut in salad dressing ($11.50) - a nice change from the common 'gong bao ji ding' (diced chicken with dried chilli)

Stuffed beancurd in Portuguese style ($11.50) - hakka style 'niang tou fu' (stuffed with minced meat) in a creamy interesting sauce...a bit hard to describe the sauce..just give it a try haha..

Final verdict:
Ambience - 7.5/10 (hongkong style chinese restaurant with classy ceiling lights)
Service - 7.5/10
Food - 8/10 (overall satisfying, too full for desserts. PS. their durian pudding is nice!)
Value for $ - 6.5/10 (a bit pricy...I paid close to $70 incl ++ for the 4 dishes above, tea, rice & towels)

Venue: Jurong Point #02-34 Tel: 63970060.
For other outlets, pls refer to http://www.crystaljade.com/crystal_jade_kitchen.htm

Cafe Vic, Carlton Hotel - April 28, 2008

2008-04-29T22:54:00.015+08:00

Yesterday, I attended another colleague's farewell lunch at Cafe Vic, Carlton Hotel. As I stepped into the restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye was the colourful salad bar (which reminded me of the veggie corner in Marche).

From caesar salad to lovely cherry tomatoes, Italian dressing to the regular thousand island...I couldn't help but to whip up my own salad. At the bottom of my salad bowl, you will see traces of the cafe's mushroom salad (not too bad) and some tomato cum cheese (that doesn't taste like cheese) salad soaked in an unknown condiment.

Beside my salad bowl, was a cup of braised crab meat soup which I'm leaving it to my colleague's boy to comment... Lele was happily taking (my) pictures until he tried the soup...hahaha

Ok, maybe it was my hp camera flash but the soup is really something you can give a miss in this buffet...starchy...hardly any traces of crab meat (when it's supposed to be a Crab Meat soup). Btw, there is an alternative soup, Onion soup (I think) but I didn't try as it wasn't very appealing to me.

On the right side of the buffet hall, you will find appetizers like japanese octopus, smoked spicy salmon, yellow clam salad deep fried (cold) samosa & spring rolls.

On the opposide pillar, you can get a good variety of cheese & 3 types of hams from the cheese & ham counter. The hams tasted ordinary but the light yellow cheese with 'holes' was nice!

On the ice, we have the usual oysters, clams & boiled prawns. The chilled prawns were pretty fresh & sweet.

Moving on to the Mains...they have hot dishes like grilled beef tenderloin with black pepper, seafood with lotus bulb, roast duck, deep fried salmon cheeks, teriyaki chicken & irish lamb stew on mashed potatoes, sushi...

The variety of main dishes was limited & ordinary except for the irish lamb stew - one of the better hot dishes. Oh ya, I also had a mini roasted drumstick & german coiled sausage from their 'show kitchen', with 2 chefs manning the oven (for roasted poultry) & teppanyaki stove (for the sausages & assorted grilled meats). The chicken was ok but the sausage was salty! The hashbrown was worst..golden brown on the outside but very dry in the inside; the MacDonald breakfast hashbrown tastes better.

Finally...something good about the buffet...

The desserts outshone the mains in turns of variety & presentation. There are at least 8 types of cakes, along with cute mini dessert tapas, bread pudding, sea-coconut dessert, standard fruit platters & ice-cream for the sweet tooth to choose.

I tried a bit of almost everything at the dessert section (since I didn't have a 2nd helping of the mains hee..) & most of them were pretty nice, except for the 2 tapas in mini glasses. They tasted like some breakfast jams & very sweet too. The brown ball in the transparent spoon was an enlarged version of the Ferror Rocher, while the white 'snow ball' in porcelain spoon is full of milky white chocolate goodness. Beside the porcelain spoon, is a solidified version of the chinese dessert 'Fu Zhu Yi Mi' (sweet beancurd barley) with a hidden ginko in the bottom & a raspberry on top. It was not too sweet & surprisingly very palatable.

The chocolate fountain was small (compared to the one at The Line) but the skewers of fruits & mashmallows had helped to make the set-up look more attractive.

Overall, nothing extraordinary about this buffet & I think it's a bit overpriced ($35++ & $45++ for lunch & dinner) if not the card discounts. Here is my verdict:

Ambience - 6.5/10 (simple decor)

Service - 8/10

Food - 7/10 (desserts saved the day!)

Value for $ - 6/10

Fyi, the reservation no. is 6311 8195 & Carlton Hotel is located at 76 Bras Basah Road S(189558)

Cuba Libre, Clark Quay - April 25, 2008

2008-04-26T19:12:00.015+08:00

After the ramen dinner at Marutama, we strolled across the river to the Clark Quay side for a place to chill out. Most of the pubs were pretty crowded, not a surprising sight on a friday nite. TGIF, isn't it?

We did not want to wait so we walked around to source for a quieter drinking place. We passed by the 'Clinic', drinkers either sat on 'hospital beds' or wheelchairs toasting their cocktails or beers, as thou' they were celebrating their discharge tomorrow haa.. don't think I will ever like to step into this innovative pub.

Since the more popular pubs had long queues at their entrance, I suggested the 'Kandi Bar' (http://www.hedkandi.com.sg/) which was somehow less crowded. We got ourselves a corner table & the drinks menu shortly after we settled down. But less than 5 minutes we were out of the pub again as the bright colour-changing floor was giving one of my friends dizzy spell, while the other one preferred to drink from the tap (Kandi bar only serves bottled beers). So we landed up in 'Cuba Libre' a Cuba restaurant cum bar opposite Kandi bar.

Cuba Libre proves to be a more relaxing place. The restaurant has strong Cuba & Mexico colours. The waiters & waitresses are dressed in cowboys (& cowgirls) suit too. I like the bar counter where Cuba drums are creatively used as the tall stools.

The place has a stage for live band performance but too bad we did not get to see the performance. Nonetheless we enjoyed the Salsa music played throughout our stay there. The music volume is still acceptable if you like to make some comfortable chats over your drinks.

We missed the happy hours (till 9pm) by 15min and couldn't enjoy the 1-for-1 draft beers promo. So I went for a cocktail - Passionfruit Batida ($13). According to the drink menu, it is a Brazilian cocktail, which means shaken in Portuguese; Havana 3 Yrs (a cuba rum) & passionfruit top with soda. It has a refreshing nice taste & I quite enjoyed it.

On the other hand, my friend ordered the restaurant's symbolic drink - Cuba Libre ($13), a cocktail made of Havana 3 Yrs, Pepsi & a dash of lime juice. I had a sip but couldn't really taste the rum. I think the Pepsi kind of diluted the alcoholic trace. But I like the presentation of the drink. The dyed-red starfruit added color to the cocktail, compared to the lonely cherry swimming in my glass.

Here's a close-up shot with flash

The other friend had a Heineken beer from the tap, one of my favourite beer too beside Hoegaarden & Corona. Overall, this is a nice place to chill out with your friends. I would rate it...

Ambience - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Drink - 8/10
Value for $ - 7/10

Here are the restaurant details. Do share your comments with me if you try out the cuban food there.

Venue: #01-13, 3B River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, The Foundry
Contact: 6338 8982

Marutama Ramen, The Central - April 25, 2008

2008-04-26T15:20:00.016+08:00

It was my 4th visit to this ever-long queue ramen restaurant last evening. My initial suggestion for Ma Maison (I'll write one on it when I revisit this lovely restaurant in a cosy french cottage setting) was overruled by my friend's strong liking for Marutama ramen.

Marutama, located at the 3rd level (#03-90) of The Central (opp Merchant Court Hotel), maintains a neat & simple appearance of a traditional japanese ramen stall. A conspicuous menu (written in a mixture of Hiragana, Katakan & Kanji) was mounted onto the restaurant's exterior wall, perhaps a 'closer to home' icon to attract their japanese customers.

After waiting for 20min, we were led into the restaurant. I was greeted by the usual wooden tables, chairs and some bamboo partitions. Nothing much has changed since my last visit (at least half a yr ago), there are still a flask of iced water, a box of tissue, fried shallots & sesame seeds (optional garnishings for the ramen) placed on every table. Same goes for the menu, patrons are still limited to 3 types of ramen (strictly-speaking, I would say there are only 2 types) and the same old sides. Ok, there was this new item on the list...several dumplings soaked in (what appeared to me) some kind of hot chilli oil (so we didn't order).

Since it was the first visit for one of my friends, I recommended their 'Principal' ramen (also called the Marutama ramen). I had the same thing too. It was a chicken soup based ramen with seaweed topping & a piece of char siu (pork belly) at $12. For additional topping, you MUST try their Ajitsuke tamago for another dollar!

Ajitsuke tamago is the best seasoned egg I have ever eaten. I never failed to add this since my first visit to Marutama. The egg white was hard boiled but the egg yolk remained moist & savory! Simply Sedap! (I wonder how the chef prepares it).

The springy ramen plus the rich & flavorful chicken soup, makes every mouthful a pleasurable intake. The seaweed, unlike the ordinary ones you get from the yong tou foo stall, is a delightful complement to the noodles too. For bigger eater, you may like to leave some soup in the bowl to add another dose of ramen for a dollar more.

Apart from the Marutama ramen, I had tried their Nama Karashi ramen & Aka ramen on previous occasions. I felt the Nama ramen was a clone of the Marutama ramen (also chicken-based) but mixed with chilli to please the spicy taste buds. The Aka ramen was something new; it was a seven kinds of nuts soup base Ramen with Coriander...can't remember the taste vividly (afterall it was donkey months back when I tried it) but I did not recall any nutty aftertaste. Well, my favourite is still the original Marutama ramen.

Moving on to the sides...I would recommend the Yaki Char Siew that I tried on the last visit. Sorry no picture here cos' my friend didn't feel it was value-worthed to pay 4 bucks for 4 thin slices. I agreed it is pretty pricy but very nice! The selected meat for the grill was of a right combination of lean & fats; neither stiff nor oily. Other more popular sides include the braised radish - $6 & dashimaki tamago (the usual japanese omettele you will find on top of the sushi rice) - $8

Alright time for the final verdict...

Ambience - 6/10 (a small restaurant with a simple traditional japanese decor)
Service - 6.5/10 (bit slow in responding)
Food - 8.5/10 (authentic ramen...Oiishi! But pity no dessert in the menu)
Value for $ - 6.5/10 (pretty pricy for a ramen fix)

Btw, here is the no. 65348090, but fyi the business is so bustling that they accept no reservation.

The Line, Shangri-La Hotel - December 14, 2007

2008-04-21T12:48:00.014+08:00

The Line is one of the most extravagant international buffets (& farewell lunch for my ex-assistant & retired colleagues) I have tried so far. Thanks god, it was at least 50% subsidised by our bosses @ Bendeemer hee.. Can't remember the exact price but I think it will cost your wallet about $120 after the ++ (before any CC discount) for dinner.

The ambience was nice (thou' it gets a little bit rowdy as the crowd built up gradually). Simply put, it was a glass tank, fused with modern simplicity of bright hues (mainly orange, red & yellow, if my memory do not fail me) and surrounded by lush of greens. A comfortable & pleasant dining venue for family, friends & colleagues gatherings. Its website claims that it has 16 culinary stations. I did not count the no. of stations but the wide spread of foods, artfully arranged in almost every corners of the restuarant, was indeed stimulating to the eyes.

I started off the buffet with the main dishes, instead of the entrée. (Well, it gave me an excuse to go back to the Mains again after the entree hee...). There were too many things to eat! Ranging from Indian curries to chinese steamed dumplings. Ok, doesn't sound very appealing haha...How about some turkey with cranberry sauce, all time favorite satays (which garnered pretty good comments from my colleagues), cod fish in some special sauce (sorry I forgot...din expect myself writing this blog when I was feasting at The Line), snow peas stirred fried with scallops (I think), cream soup, Big BBQ grilled prawns (a bit disappointed cos' it was over done), sushi, sashimi, noodles station etc...Ok,here are some pictures to tease the taste buds...afterall, a picture(s) says more than a thousand words...

I know what you are thinking about...nothing fantastic from the plates of assorted platters right? Ok, I will try to arrange my foods in a more tasteful manner going-forward. haha.

Maybe the next picture will appeal to you more...

What a cooling sight in these gradually hot days right? Isn't it lovely to see the mussels, striking red prawns & mini 'lobsters' bathing in a tub of ices? haha Now, have a closer look...

The Oyster is alluringly huge isn't it? hee... but I had one only (not really into raws). My focus was on the mini 'lobsters'...nicely chilled, sealed with sweetness of the sea! Excellent! Ok ok, I'm exaggerating here but I have to give credit to its succulent flesh that blended well with a tint of lemon juice. The prawn salad in the short glass was not too bad too. That wrapped up my entree portion & I went back for another round of mains again ho ho ho...

FINALLY...the best part of the entire buffet (in my opinion)...the DESSERTS!! Assorted cakes, crepes, choco fondue, ice-cream...yummy yummy! The ice cream station is like a mini replica of the Cold Rock Ice Creamery at Holland Village, where you can request the ice-cream chef to whip up a mix of flavors on his Cold 'teppanyaki stove'. Throw in your favourite nuts, berries or crunched cookies & you get your customised ice-cream. Too bad, I didn't manage to snap the ice-cream station. But, I had a shot of the tall choco fountain (just beside the ice-cream station) which is accompanied by 'gardens' of strawberries & checker cookies..Simply irresistible not to take a dip haa..

The dessert corner is just as exciting as the fondue...The array of delectable cakes, so exquisitely done, makes you want to try every one of them! I like the tiramisu and love the macaron that housed a rasberry & 2 'golden' blueberries on a green icing cream. I had at least 2! hee..

Finally...it's rating time! Thank you Bish Bish for his feedback, I will give an overall rating on the following:

Ambience - 7/10 (Clean, pleasant but definitely not a place to propose)
Service - 8/10 (Prompt in clearing plates, smiling waitresses & waiters)
Value for $ - 6/10 (Nice variety but I still think it's bit overpriced)
Food - 7/10 (Desset is good as emphasized above but others are mediocre)

Just my 2 cents' worth...still nice to try out if you have some spare cash to indulge ;)

Long Beach, IMM - April 18, 2008

2008-04-19T23:07:00.000+08:00

Last night, I had a seafood feast, sponsored by my dad, thanks to my mum's cravings for crabs...Alaskan crab to be precise. The manager was kind enough to inform that this was not the season for Alaskan crabs (we'll only get 60% of the usually amount of flesh) so we were recommended the Canadian crabs which are cheaper than Alaskan ($138 per kg!) but more expensive than the usual Sri Lankan crabs ($40 per kg).

Ok, so the first dish on our menu...a 1.2 kg Canadian Crab which costed $72. We had it stir-fried in White Pepper Sauce. Its pincers were pathetically small (hardly can't see in the picture right?)..think it's a distant relative of the Alaskan crabs where the focus is on their long 'muscular' walking legs. Overall, the sauce was nice..not too spicy nor overwhelming. The meat was quite sweet & Q. I felt texture was also better than the usual Sri Lanka crab I had. Ok, I will give a 7/10 for this dish...not bad but nothing too fantastic too.

Well, how can one crab be enough to feed the 6 of us? Minutes after the Canadian crab, 2 Sri Lanka crabs were served...
The Famous LB Black Pepper Crab
The 'Nai Huang' (Cream) Crab

Somehow the famous black pepper crab did not live up to my expectation (compared to the one I had last year in the same LB branch). My sister commented that the black pepper sauce tastes like black sesame paste. Indeed the sesame tint seemed to have overwhelmed the black pepper aroma. I was also disappointed to find the amount of flesh in the deceiving huge pincher. The meat was a bit stiff too. Maybe it is really not the crab season yet. Same goes for the Cream crab. Instead of the usual Chilli crab, we decided to try something different. The portion of meat was equally disatisfying. The cream sauce had a dash of Curry flavor, tasted like the Portuguese Niang Tou Fu that Crystal Jade serve. Overall, it gave a so-so feeling. It will be a 6/10 for both crabs. Suddenly I missed the Chilli Crab (full of roe!) at No Sign Board haa...

Alright, enough of crabs, here comes the Steamed Live Scottish Bamboo Clam with Minced Garlic This was the first time I lay my hands (or fork) on the Bamboo Clam. To my surprise, I quite enjoyed this hot piping dish! The clam was succulent, coupled with the frangrant minced garlic soaked in a light soy sauce (must be special sauce)...heavenly match! I actually finished the mince garlic to its last bit! (fyi, I hate garlic...except for garlic breads) Each bamboo clam costed $8, a promotional rate already (original $12 per pc)..a little pricy. It will be wonderful if they can charge at half the promotional rate haha. Overall, I will give it a 8/10.

Now, let have something healthy & light...a steamed fish! No ordinary fish..Marble Goby...$70 for a kg! Albeit it was pretty pricy, I have to admit it was good! The fish meat was light and tender; steamed to the right degree in Hong Kong style. Thumbs up for its freshness & sweetness, absolutely no trace of fishy smell! 9/10.

Last but not least, the Golden Stripe Lobster! We had 3 live locally breeded lobsters for $118, prepared in the popular LB style. The dish was not too bad, except I felt the lobsters were bit over-fried that the meat become a little bit stiff. The shells were so crispy that you can eat up the whole thing. One thing to comment apart from the lobsters, the crisps (made from egg yolk, I think) garnished on top were sinfully nice! On the whole, I will rate it 7.5/10

Overall, it was a sumptuous dinner. We had some greens too (baby kailan stirred fried with garlic) & washed down the food with Oolong tea; leaving no room for desserts. I will rate the dining experience there above mediocre. The service was quite prompt, plates were changed now and then. They did not charge us on the towels, peanuts & tea & with 15% discount, the bill totaled to ~$433. Dad, thanks for your generosity! hee...

PS. Here is the LB website if you are interested to have meal there too.
www.longbeachseafood.com.sg

My First Blog!

2008-04-19T21:42:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my very first blog! In my 'Makan Place', I will be sharing my encounters with food, food & more foods! Yes you can see, I love food haha...always looking out for good food (no wonder it's so hard for me to lose weight!!) Come to think of it, I think I spent more in restaurants than boutiques haa..

Someone asked me before: Do you eat to live Or live to eat? I chose the latter. How about you? :)