Everything in pictures!

Recently made a short trip to HK to visit my good friend S. Before moving over, she was my shopping kaki at FEP and we used to spend loads in just 2-3 hours. We were great together because we had the same shopping speed – fast; and we kinda knew what each other would like. She has a keen eye for good stuff and her fashion taste is exquisite. MISSED HER SO MUCH. Well, older now, and in Hong Kong, we shopped till the holes in my pockets were so huge it was no longer just a hole. We had a blast though. Shopping, doing spa manicure/pedicure, eating and just being girly creamed with late night girly chats on her couch and watching shows like the Bridget Jones Diary. I MISS YOU BABE.

 I love dim sum and where best to have them but in HONG KONG! Every time I am in Hong Kong we check out a different place for dim sum. This time, S brought me to DRAGON KING RESTAURANT. It was awesome! I loved the selection and the quality of the dishes served. My highlight has to be the scallop chee cheong fun.

I like it how they had it cut up into pieces each with a full scallop! I finished an entire plate all on my own! The place is cosy with little “cubicles” for each table which added to a sense of privacy. Great ambience and quality food, this place gets TWO thumbs up from me!

Not  a fan of egg tarts but the ones here were really good!

THE UPPER HOUSE, situated near the Mariott Hotel, Conrad and Shangrila is a great place to just chill and enjoy the view of the harbour. Reservations have to be made as this place is usually packed especially weekends. The general vibe is a little like SEVVA. Perfect for a night out with the girls, or that romantic post dinner date. I love the view and the ambience. Kinda wish Singapore had more of such places. Now we just have so many rooftop chill bars springing up. Not that I am complaining, but it would be nice to have more of such options as well. I guess we do, like the one at Swissotel and perhaps at the Martini place at the Hyatt Hotel. But we could use more of such I think. Oh well.

Incidentally, there is a similar outfit in Beijing by the same people, called THE OPPOSITE HOUSE and I was there just 2 days later when I was over for business. Here the hotel’s focus is in its artistic design. I would definitely try to spend a night here come my next trip. Looks pretty cool. Somewhat like an arty farty boutique hotel.

Been traveling quite a bit for work. Last one was to Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. I like Beijing. Wanna visit the Forbidden City again if I get a chance…

On the way to client’s…

When I was in HK, S and I went for Sunday Brunch at the Tiffin Lounge @ the Grand Hyatt. I must say it’s by far the best champagne brunch I have ever been to! Amongst the wide variety of desserts and international cuisine were PAN FRIED FOIE GRAS and CHEESE LOBSTER!! Those 2 were enough to make me go back the next time I am in Hong Kong. Be sure to make reservations!! Try to get the window seats if possible. Absolute decadence on a Sunday afternoon, made perfect by the best company – D and S!

Feeling hungry just looking at the pics…

Recently checked out Artichoke with R for brunch. Located at the old Secret Garden, I like the ambience here. It’s very cosy and intimate. My idea of a casual, lazy Sunday afternoon. It can get pretty hot if you are seated outside though which is really unfortunate as it is so much nicer outdoors – drats! Singapore weather!

Service is somewhat slow as it a small kitchen. Prices are very reasonable and the highlight for me has to be the BACON! It’s not often in Singapore that I get served the entire whole thick slab of bacon. Usually, its the thin fried strip, but here, you get it whole and full. Nicely grilled, with lots of oil and fat but absolutely YUMMY!

Sigh I really should start exercising. I think my body is protesting all these fattening food by growing a belch. :S

So it was one of those lazy nights at home where we didn’t want to travel too far yet I had to eat something yummy. Dad suggested checking out this place he drove past one day. Apparently they were selling crabs at $35/kg!! For those of you not in the know, places like Jumbo and Long Beach go at $44/kg and House of Seafood goes at $48/kg. I love checking out these random hawkers at HDB blocks as they usually can be very surprising. I was not disappointed. Not only was the crab tasty and fresh. All of the dishes were equally excellent. Delicious and very reasonably priced! Service was also prompt and good. I was thoroughly impressed. Will I be back? Definitely! (Unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of everything I ordered but I had the LALA with sambal, Black Pepper OR Spring Onion Beef, one or the other – very tender; baby kailan with garlic, and Black Pepper Crabs – 2: They are tiny at 800g compared to those 1.4kg I am used to, but still alright. I think I ordered one more dish but I can’t recall right now…)

The crab wasn’t outstanding but for the price paid, I say it was VERY GOOD. A mix between the peanut taste at House of Seafood/Still Road, and the sweet taste of Melban and No.3 Crab Delicacy. Will check out their other preparations next time!

Best and Most Memorable Ba Cor Mee @ Bedok Block 85. Cheap and YUMMY! One of my tops for favourite late night supper food!

Went to Oversea Restaurant for Lunch that day. I still think the char siew is one of the best but according to my friend, there’s a better one in KL. Some hawker stall. Whilst I still think their KL branch does it better, this serves me well too. Having been here longer now as compared to my previous entry on this, they now have more of the KL dishes available. Slightly over-priced in my opinion but definitely worth a try. Remember to reserve your char siew! And yes, it can get quite jelat so don’t over order!

The uncle convinced me to try this eggplant with otah and fish cake dish but I think I should have stuck to my eggplant and minced pork.

Had lunch at Golden Peony with my colleagues last Friday. I always had a good impression of Golden Peony @ the Conrad for serving good food ever since my cousin’s wedding at Conrad hotel 2 years ago. But I must say I was a tad disappointed at their dim sum selection. It was limited, and frankly, not great. The ala carte dishes took way too long to be served as well. Should have gone to Wah Lok…

This was not bad. Scallop with bean curd I think…but not outstanding.

I usually like my yoghurt plain without toppings but colleague bought this. LOVE frolick yoghurt, especially the one at Millenia Walk. It just tastes better. Yammi Yoghurt too!! sigh will miss this area when we move end of this week…

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ok super long entry. Tired…gonna crash. Brand new week. And we move to asia square on Friday! Excited about new desk and screens and all but sure gonna miss our cosy nook at Millenia/Suntec. Haven’t figured out my travel route yet…

Went for dim sum lunch at Taste Paradise at ION today so look out for that review coming up!

Good night!

XoXo

DB Bistro Moderne @ MBS

It was a Friday night and I was feeling restless. I didn’t have any plans so after work when my colleague suggested heading to MBS for a round of gambling at the casino, I agreed. I had never sat foot into the casinos since they opened in Singapore. The $100 levy served as a very good deterrent for me and I wasn’t about to “lose” $100 before I even got started. But since I had nothing else to do and I was  up for anything.

Gambling aside, we decided to check out one of the restaurants at MBS. Just above the food court, on the 2nd floor, there were some chic looking places that had this NYC feel about it. It just didn’t feel like Singapore at all. My colleague and I settled at DB Bistro. The place was full but we were hungry so we readily accepted seats by the bar. Service was good though.  The staff were quick to take orders, serve and even got me a chair for my bag.

For starters, I had the foie gras terrine whilst my colleague had the duck terrine. I normally do not like my foie gras served patty style, but this was surprisingly pretty good. Probably the best foie gras terrine I have had (I really don’t like them served patty style! Doesn’t taste as nice and I don’t enjoy it as much). My colleague said his duck terrine was good too and given he has a pretty fine palate, I’m going to take his word for it.

For my main course, I ordered the steak which was pretty much served American style if you ask me. A chunk of meat, tender and relatively juicy. Seasoning was simple, served with a tub of sauce and some fries. Nothing fancy but I wouldn’t say it was bad too. It was alright I guess but considering the price I paid for it, I would have expected more. My colleague had the burger which sounded really good with the description including foie gras! The burger was a sizable portion and from the way he gulped it down, I think it must have tasted good – It’s cheaper than my steak too!

We ended off with coffee and tea before heading off to the casino. Personally, I like the place. Pretty chill, and somewhat like a more refined diner concept. But I probably will check out the pizza place next door during my next visit as opposed to eating there again.

http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistroSingapore.html

A Night Out with a Good Friend

D and I have been good friends since college days. I remember the times when I was sad and down, both of us would sneak out of school in the middle of the day, hop on SBS #36 to town and indulge in my all-time favorite comfort food – ECARGOTS at the SHIP Restaurant, Level 4 of Shaw Building along Orchard Road. It had been a childhood family hangout. I recall how Dad always felt I needed to “beef up” and we would have dinner here every week. SHIP in the old days was a relatively “atas” restaurant with dim lights, illuminated mainly by candles that were found on every table. The menu was old and rustic looking, the interior designed like an old SHIP, with red leather cubicle seats, cloth table mats and napkins. The SHIP restaurant of today is a lot more commercial and whilst the prices haven’t gone cheaper, the overall feel of the restaurant has, as it is now of a more casual ambience with an extended more “regular” menu.

I have actually done a review of the SHIP before in a previous entry, naming it the place to go for the BEST ESCARGOTS in town. I still stand by that. Authentic French Snails served with generous portions of garlic and butter. SHIP got it right many years ago, and they still have it right. I LURVE the Escargots here. It has just the perfect amount of garlic, fried/baked perfectly. The snails are fresh and served piping hot on steel plates. I love it how they come slightly burnt adding to its flavor. If you are going to try Escargots for the first time, or if you are a fan of this French appetizer, you have to check out the ones served at the SHIP restaurant. S$13.90 for half a dozen.

As I have recently recovered from chicken pox, this weekend was like my break-away from food prison. And given everything else going on in my personal life, I really needed comfort food. So it was money aside, just spend! D and I ordered a half dozen of scallops which was also served in garlic, similar to that of Escargots. Now I say similar as it tastes of garlic, but there is a tad difference in the overall flavour of the dish. As a rule of thumb, I think garlic butter goes extremely well with snails. However, the way they prepared the scallops was pretty awesome too. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Particularly also because they served the scallops on the shells without the gross orange part of the scallop which I really dislike. Brownie points from me for that pleasant surprise.

It was a night of Garlic as I ordered my favorite Garlic Bread. The Garlic Bread at the Ship is one of the best in my opinion. Served using a regular bread slice, it is perfectly toasted. Slightly crisp at the crust and the inside is soft with just the right amount of garlic. I guess SHIP gets all garlic related dishes right!

I also ordered the Onion Soup which was very tasty. Served with loads of onions, it wasn’t too sweet (some places have the onions way too caramelized), but just right. Add some pepper and it is perfect. *It goes really well with the Garlic Bread too, although I prefer to enjoy them individually.

For my main course, I ordered the New York Steak. Something to note: They actually have set menus which cost the same as the main course on its own but it comes with the Soup of the Day, Dessert and Coffee/Tea. Do check it out. The SHIP Steak is pretty good from what I remember. It used to be my regular order before I started paying for my own meals. The New York Steak used to be cheaper but now it’s kinda caught up close to the price of the Ship Steak. I think it has something to do with the fact that it is now served on a hot plate too! :p (New York Steak about S$31. Ship Steak about S$34.)

Steaks at SHIP are pretty much the typical Hainanese fashioned steaks. To put it plainly, it’s like high-class Western stall steaks. The types you find in the canteen or hawker centre. It is not bad, and it is definitely better than those at the actual stalls, but don’t expect the likes of authentic Australian grilled steaks. The meat isn’t juicy with flavor on its own. In fact the essence of the steak really comes from the sauce. Not bad frankly, and they are quite tasty.

My New York Steak came served on a hot plate with boiled vegetables, potato served with bacon bits, salad dressing, and spring onions. On top of my steak was a good portion of flavored butter which went well with the steak and caramelized onions. The beef was tender and as a whole, it was a good main.

D had a fish dish called ikan something. I didn’t try it but I guess it was not bad considering he finished it and didn’t complain.

I closed off my meal with a glass of fruit punch and by the end of it I was extremely full. A satisfying meal and I definitely will be back again for the Escargots. Perhaps I’ll wing a dozen escargots, garlic bread and soup; then head off elsewhere for mains. :p

After dinner, D and I headed out to take night pics at the Esplanade with our Panasonic Lumix LX3 (yes, he has the same one!). I must say I am extremely satisfied with my camera purchase (yup, just got this a couple of weeks ago!) and I love how the pictures come out without flash looking so sharp. Here are some of the pictures I took!

ORGO – rooftop bar at the Esplanade

Came here a couple of times before and since I was there taking pics, just thought I’d give it a special mention for those of you who haven’t been there. It’s a pretty cool place with a nice ambience. You can reserve little glass box rooms for a more private chilling with your friends or sit under the stars. It’s really pretty. But do make your reservations at least a week in advance especially if you are hoping to get the box rooms. I recall there being a minimum spending too.

The Esplanade was surprisingly crowded the night I was there. Not sure if there was a performance in the theaters but there was a local act performing outdoors by the water and it wasn’t bad at all. I was surprised at the audience that had gathered to watch but the performers were really pretty good. I think it was nice how people just sat around to watch and the atmosphere was relaxed and nice. I liked it. The acoustics were good and it was very enjoyable just being there. Many people seem to have taken an interest in photography as well and I saw many people just sitting on the steps around, near the water, and many taking pictures of our skyline and of course the view of the magnificent Marina Bay Sands, Fullerton Hotel, Merlion, Singapore Flyer, etc. It was really pretty and reminded me somewhat of the Shanghai Bun, except the Bun had more lights and some of the buildings look quite tacky. I think Singapore did good.

Nothing to do on a Saturday night? Check out the Esplanade, and remember to bring your camera!

The BEST Eggs Benedict

Prive @ Keppel has always been a place I wanted to check out. Been here on a couple of occasions but surprisingly I never tried their brunch here. Well here we were, one Sunday morning, S and I decided to start our day with some yummy brunch by the water.

The ambience for one is pretty nice. Bright and early, seated outside gives you a nice view of the water and yachts at bay. Of course there are also the not-so-nice construction work of the upcoming “Reflections” project. But then you take a step back and think, those lucky owners have got themselves quite a nice apartment with a great view. The air is fresh and it’s always nice to be near water, have some sunlight and a book, enjoying the peace and quiet with some lovely brunch.

S had heard about the eggs benedict and was eager to try it. I on the other hand, decided to try the all-in brunch. S ordered his coffee and I had my glass of Riesling. Both of us with a book in hand, it was perfect.

When S’s egg benedict came, he was floored. He kept gushing about how well done it was. In fact, he said it was the best eggs benedict and done to perfection. He sliced the eggs, and there is was, the yolk nicely oozing out. He was right. Eggs benedict is  common breakfast dish but it rarely is done this well. So kudos to the chefs of Prive!

My breakfast set was pretty awesome too. The waitress was very kind and spoke to the chef for me so I managed to change my baked beans for some smoked salmon instead. And they were generous in their serving portions. Now here’s the deal: their scrambled eggs are one of the best I have had. It reminded me of the ones I had in Sydney, BILL’S. The eggs were fluffy and perfectly done with a hint of milk. LOVED IT.

Frankly, the prices here are very reasonable as well. And it’s cooling even on a regular day. The staff are friendly and helpful.  I would pick PRIVE over GRAZE anytime. Sorry guys.

Super Dog @ 313

S and I were walking around the basement of 313 when we came across this new fast food joint. Thinking it would be something like Orange Julius, we decided to check it out after hours of walking around.

SUPER DOG – The store was pretty empty. In fact, I would go as far as saying that it seemed kinda over-staffed. Perhaps it was still very new and hasn’t quite picked up a crowd yet but many of the staff were literally just standing around. Whilst most of them were young people, they were lacking energy and were very much less upbeat than the old friendly chirpy aunty behind the counters of MacDonald’s.

Nonetheless, we decided to give it a go with their Chilli Dog meal. The fries sucked big time. They were hard yet “lao hong” at the same time. They weren’t salty and didn’t taste like fries at all. The hot dog was pathetically done as they were awfully stingy on the ingredients. However the taste of the sausage was actually pretty good.

Unfortunately, because everything else was so bad, I am afraid I am gonna have to give this 2 thumbs down and I’m never going back. Sorry guys!!

Binging Friday

I have had an exhausting week at work and I was not spared Saturday either. S was also having a busy week packed with meetings and clearing admin. So today, we decided to go eat HAPPY FOOD. =)

S had been meaning to try Sakuraya which was a place recommended by his parents. I had been to the Parkway branch previously and well, it doesn’t work for me. Granted, the salmon sashimi is cheap and very fresh. But if you are looking for ambience and variety, this place isn’t it. Primarily a Japanese supermarket, you can find everything you need for  a traditional Japanese meal. The concept allows for customers to hand-pick what they wish to eat and it will be served nicely on a plate and you can enjoy fresh sashimi at a supermarket price. Other than that, the variety is really limited and not exactly your sumptuous Japanese fair but rather cheap good ol’ fashioned Japanese.

We arrived slightly past 9pm and they were already closing, but seeing S’s disappointment and the plea in his tone, they kindly allowed us to be their last customer. Service was efficient, prompt and good. We had the salmon sashimi which served about 12 slices for 12 bucks. I also ordered the agadeshi tofu which was yum as compared to those in Sakae and Sushi Teh. S had his favourite nattou which honestly, I can’t appreciate; but for what it’s worth – it’s alot better and tastier than those I have tried before. Still not a fan of the dish though.

You know what? I will actually return and whack the sashimi for you really can’t get any fresher and any cheaper.

After some Japanese to please my man, it was my turn. Just next door was The West End boutique restaurant. Well known for their steaks, I had been here a couple of times before. The slab of steak is tender, juicy and very tasty. Coupled with the variety in the choice of sauces. I recommend the Black Pepper sauce and Brown Sauce even though the Garlic sounds very tempting.

ESCARGOTS HAVEN!! Remember I used to say no place beats the SHIP for serving the best escargots in town? Well the West End is about to give the SHIP a run for its money. Unlike Ship, their escargots are not served in their shells neither are they served on a hot plate. Rather, they are generously served with garlic on a plate. LOVELY. It’s seriously very good!!! A more clean cut less strong taste than Ship as I think they put less butter, and the garlic is less fried, but extremely delicous and I promise you will leave very satisfied. The best part?? It’s way cheaper than Ship!! Whilst Ship serves their escargots at $13.90 for half a dozen, its only $8.90 here and if you wanna add cheese, an extra $1. On this night, I tucked myself into 2 half dozens. =) YUM YUM!!!

We also ordered the Beef Fahijtas. This was excellent. The beef maintained the quality of their usual steak and the wrap was nicely done. Tasty, not too hard, not too soft. The onions, sauces…everything was perfect. I’d say Cafe Iguana has some competition!

Located at Pasir Panjang, West End is kinda like your All American Western restaurant with a cafe outside and a pub upstairs. The interior is cosy but styled in the fashion of old Hollywood glamour with a tinge of Elvis. Maybe not the most romantic of places but you can assured of a great meal and personal service.

All in all, I had a splendid dining experience, both at Sakuraya and West End. The company of course was what made the food all the more enjoyable. I love my S, my binging buddy! *HUGS*

Ship Ship Ship!

After work on Saturday (yes, I work weekends!), I was in a pretty good mood and was craving for some yummy food. It’s been some time since I have had my favourite SHIP escargot so I dragged S there for lunch.

We arrived slightly after one. Now back in the day, the Ship Restaurant was always packed. I remember going there as a child, my parents would always have to make a reservation or we would be disappointed. This was during the time when there were 3 SHIP outlets in Singapore. One at International Plaza, one at Serangoon Gardens and lastly the flagship branch at Shaw Centre Level 4. Times have changed however. With the evolvement of the food industry and the sprouting of many new restaurants with lots to offer, SHIP started fading out. The branches closed and all that was left was the one at Shaw.  Even then, the crowd was dismal, a far cry from their usual glory days.

SHIP back then was a cosy, intimate, family-run Western restaurant decorated in theme to that of a SHIP (hence the name). The dimly lit restaurant had candles on every table and the table mats were made of cloth. Napkins were placed on your lap upon being seated. It was relatively more ‘posh’. Now, due to economic constraints, the cloth table mats have been replaced by plastic ones, and the napkins by tissue. Even the menu quality looks less equisite, although the prices of the dishes have increased…Anyway, I’d better get back to lunch…

So imagine my surprise when the restaurant was full. It was literally packed like sardines as you can see how they were obviously trying to maximise space by cramming the tables. Thankfully we managed to get the last 2-seater table and we were set to order.

No wonder! The set lunches were freakin’ cheap! An entire set lunch comprising of an appetizer, a main, a dessert and coffee/tea cost close to $15. Amazing if you compare it with the ala carte menu. I ordered the Fish Noodle Set (yes they serve fish noodles!) whilst my boy had the chicken. I couldn’t resist so I ordered my escargots and garlic bread as well.

Escargots…As usual, these were and still the best escargots in Singapore for me. Just the right amount of butter and garlic, not forgetting baked to perfection, with just the correct amount of carbon (I like mine slightly burnt… ). The garlic bread went splendidly well with the remaining escargot garlic sauce…*slurp*

Fish Noodles…this was actually not bad. The soup was quite tasty. I would say it is comparable to that in the hawker centre. The serving was generous too. Although I would have preferred it if they did not fry the fish. I wonder if I had a choice in that. The unique thing is, the fish is served separately from the noodles and is fried on its own more like  fish and chips.

Chicken…according to S it wasn’t great but it was also coz he was too full to taste it. Sorry, not much help there as I was too full to try his chicken too!

All in all it was a good meal, although I must say the best part was the escargot. Objective achieved!