One word, heavenly! We were actually a little skeptical standing outside the restaurant, but there are no regrets having dinner over there. The pizza is thin crust, cripsy and really tasty. The spaghetti and riso were well cooked and super duper tasty. The taste of the cream or sauce arousing the buds of your tongue. Cloud nine shld be the word.

Oh oh! I am so into the food i forget to tell u where it is! Still in Interlaken, its one of the restaurant along the road. We sat outside in the cool temperature having our delicious dinner. Mountains all around you and from the vast blue sky, you see ppl gliding down. Mamamia! haha.

Oh!! yess and i got something to bitch about! Look at the last photo, the one with the receipt. I cant believe they actually charged us 2 francs just to cut the pizza into 2! What!!! Next time i am doing it myself! haa!

I am so hungry already =(

Cheers,
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

Goodwood Park Hotel’s mooncake promotion is here:

Enjoy,
Donovan,
TS

Don’t know where to go for your next buffet fix? Here’s a list I received in my email. Hope it helps when you have ran out of ideas!

Food lovers … hold your breath!

Lunch buffets

1. For lunch buffet below $20, Geek Terminal at Market Street (http://www.geekterminal.com/) @ $13.90 per pax - think it’s best for those working in Raffles Place & who want a light lunch.

2. For lunch buffet between $20 to $30, Carnivore at Vivocity (http://www.carnivore.com.sg/Outlets/vivo.asp) @ $28++ per pax - good for meat-eaters & those working in Vivocity vicinity.

3. For lunch buffet above $30, Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts (http://dining.royalplaza.com.sg/) @ $39++ per pax - for those who can afford a leisurely lunch with international spread on a weekday at Orchard Road.

Dinner buffets

1. Below $20, Bombay Cafe Express at Suntec City Mall (http://www.bombaycafe.com.sg/) @ $14.90++ per pax - not sure if the buffet’s only available on Friday nights since that was what the programme showed. There’s also another Bombay Cafe around Tanjong Katong area. >> $9.90 on weekday, ok, included some Chinese dishes among the Indian dishes offered. Serves naan too. (value for money.)

2. Between $20 to $30, Harbour City Restaurant at PSA Building (http://www.harbourcity.com.sg/) @ $27.80++ per pax, only on weeknights - ala carte buffet menu of 48 dishes but subject to minimum of 4 pax to enjoy the buffet. This buffet does really look like a great-value for money, but provided you don’t mind travelling to the rather remote location. I had only tried the dim sum lunch once & a long time ago, but it seemed very popular with working crowd around there

3. Above $30, MELT - The World Cafe at Mandarin Oriental (http://www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore/dining/MELT/) @ $70++ per pax, only on weeknights - add $25++ to enjoy free flow of alcohol.

Dim sum buffets

1. Below $20, Lao Beijing at Plaza Singapura (http://www.tunglok.com/laobeijing/laobeijing_menus.html) @ $10.20++ per pax – only for high tea on weekdays, 3 to 5pm. For weekends & PHs, the price increases to $15.80++, but the spread has slightly more choices as well. Check out their website for the full high tea menus. It’s worth a try if you like lots of Chinese carbs.

2. Between $20 to $30, Peach Blossom at Marina Mandarin (http://www.meritus-hotels.com/hotelresort/marinamandarin/dining/peachblossom.htm) @ $28.80++ per pax, served between 11.30am to 2.30pm, only on weekends & PHs - ala carte buffet menu of over 26 dishes. I haven’t tried it but am really tempted by the display of fried cornflake beancurds, deep fried enoki mushroom parcels and black glutinous rice with pumpkin paste dessert last night.

3. Above $30, Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific (http://www.panpacific.com/en/singapore/restaurants_bars/Hai_Tien_Lo.html) @ $58++ per pax, between 11.30am to 2.30pm, only on weekends & PHs – the spread looked good, but 4 out of 5 tasters on the programme commented that the price was a little too high for dim sum, which I tend to agree, what’s more with the recession looming over our heads now.

Breakfast buffets

1. Below $20, Bistro Delifrance at various locations (http://www.delifrance.com.sg/)@ $9.90++ per pax – only on Fridays to Sundays & PHs, 8 to 10.30am. Check their website for the various bistro locations & under ‘Promotions & Hot Deals’ for the breakfast buffet details. Not sure why the flyer on the website indicated that we can have the bakery buffet breakfast at $7.95 and will need to add $3 for an additional hot meal, which was different from what was telecasted last evening, showing unlimited helpings to both their hot & bakery items. Perhaps different bistro have different menus or the flyer is outdated? Did anybody know which outlet they showcased last night?

2. Between $20 to $30, Cafe Brio’s at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel (http://www.millenniumhotels.com.sg/grandcopthornewaterfront/restaurant/index.html) @ $29.00++ per pax, served between 6.30 to 10.30am, on all days –the spread seemed very international, probably good for those staying nearby. I found the mention of dining al fresco alongside the Singapore River rather funny since the view is more like of a big canal, nothing spectacular.

3. Above $30, Olive Tree Restaurant at Intercontinental Singapore ( http://www.singapore.intercontinental.com/dining/olivetree.asp) @ $36.00++ per pax, between 6 to 10.30am, on weekends & PHs – the spread actually didn’t seem as international as Café Brio’s, but is definitely more high end. They have an egg station that will freshly cook your eggs in whatever style you want, which is the norm for 4 stars hotel establishments and above. And boy, am I impressed with their selection of fresh tea leaves that are served in actual tea pots rather than cups to individual customers. The pan fried beef and cheese selection looks really yummy too. So if I’m to choose between Café Brio’s & Olive Tree, I’ll rather pay a bit more & go for the latter. After a most satisfying breakfast, we can then walk off our food by shopping to our fill at Bugis Junction.

High tea buffets

1. Below $20, Chilli Padi Nonya Café at North Bridge Commercial Complex $8.80+ per pax. The high tea buffet is served on all days of the weeks, 2.30pm to 5.30pm, and I think it’s $7.80+ on weekdays, add a dollar for weekends. I was salivating over the spread on tv last night, especially the nonya kuehs, kueh pie ti, chwee kueh & chilled sago with gula melaka. Seems like they rotate their daily menus, thus you may get your favorites on certain days. The spread may not be huge but it’s definitely worth a try for that price. For your information, North Bridge Commercial Complex is just opposite Bugis Junction.

2. Between $20 to $30, Ellenborough Market Café at Swissotel Merchant Court (http://www.swissotel.com/EN/Destinations/Singapore/Swissotel+Merchant+Court/HOTEL+HOME/Gallery/Dining/Ellenborough+Market+Cafe.htm) @ $28.00++ per pax, served between 3.30pm to 5.30pm, only on weekends and PHs – needless be much said about this popular buffet with Singaporeans. It’s got a reasonably good spread, just don’t expect very nice ambience as I tend to think the café is always overcrowded. The cold chempedak dessert did look very tempting though.

3. Above $30, Tea Lounge at The Regent Singapore ( http://www.regenthotels.com/hotels/risin/dinings) @ $36.00++ per pax, served between 1.30pm to 5.30pm on weekends – this is a classic English tea buffet, probably more suitable for ladies of leisure or bunch of girls meeting up for a get-together or couples wanting a quiet afternoon to cosy up to each other. Can you imagine a bunch of guys or big families gathering at this place? I think that explained why Terence Cao kept going over to join the other 2 female tasters last night since it would be a bit awkward for him to sit alone and sample English tea. Anyway, interesting items to try include the Yuzu tarlet, cherry trifle and macarons.

Steamboat buffets

1. Zheng Fa Steamboat - Less Than 20 @ $18.90++, on weekdays. I was surprised by the indoor decor as it really didn’t look very nice outside.
I found the uniforms of the staff rather corny, but overall, I wouldn’t mind patronising this place with my family or a big bunch of friends so that we can share food & try everything. The desserts really looked interesting, and I am impressed by the fact that they don’t only offer steamboat, but also grill/bbq & teppanyaki, & at such low price. I bet this place is going to get swamped from now onwards, & I regret not trying it before the telecast.

2. Chongqing Steamboat @ Tanglin Mall - Less than 30 @ $29.90++ on weekdays & $30.90++ on weekends. Website:http://www.chinesefeasts.com.sg/restaurants.html. The restaurant is more correctly known as The Magic of Chongqing Hot Pot, & you can find the extensive menu on the website above. I like their sauces a lot, and all the 1-serving Jing Chuan Dian Xin items are worth a try. The 8-treasure tea served is a bonus as it really aided digestion of food.

3. The Buffet @ M Hotel - Above 30 @ $38++ on weekdays. Website: http://www.millenniumhotels.com.sg/mhotelsingapore/restaurant/theBuffet.html. The hotpot buffet showcased last night is really impressive, but I think more suited for seafood lovers since they focus their themes around seafood. I salivated over the drunken prawns cooked on the spot & mushroom varieties & chinese herbs that you can add all you want to your soup, and of course, the durian pengat.

Dessert buffets

1. Below $20, Mingles at Velocity (Novena Square) – ice cream buffet @ $14.90++ per pax, available for high tea everyday. The buffet offers 24 flavours of New Zealand Natural ice cream, with unlimited waffles (not served whole but in small slices) & 1 drink per customer. It may be too much to eat just ice cream unless you are a true-blue ice cream fan, so a suggestion is to go for their set lunches or dinners, which will give you main course, drink & dessert/soup. I tried this place a couple of times, & rather enjoyed their sausages & rosti.
However, this place is definitely not meant for hanging out or big crowds.

2. Between $20 to $30, The Rose Veranda at Shangri-La Hotel - dessert buffet @ $28++ per pax, available between 3 to 6pm on weekdays.http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/singapore/shangrila/dining/restaurant/roseveranda. I actually think this is the most worthy of the lot showcased last night, & would love to give it a try when I can find time to take the afternoon off from work & have a leisurely high tea with my friends or other half.
Being a female & tea drinker, I love the rose patterned crockery & am amazed by the 102 varieties of tea available. Apparently, they also serve tea cocktails, which are chargeable. Temptations include the crème brulee, mango & mint minestrone, lemongrass & chocolate mousse topped with crunchy chocolate balls, durian cake & chocolate fondue. They also have a selection of hot items for this buffet, which is great for those who are not die hard dessert fans.

3. Above $30, The Courtyard at Fullerton Hotel – chocolate buffet @ $38++ per pax, available Thur through Sat nights.http://www.fullertonhotel.com/swf/main.html#/dining/thecourtyard/. Well, another well known buffet, so I’m not going to say too much. I have never tried it since I don’t fancy gorging myself on chocolate, not that I don’t love chocolate, but I just don’t wish to run at the sight of chocolate for a long time after that. The only items that caught my attention last night are the lychee tiramisu and white chocolate soup.

Brunch buffets

1. Below $20, Penang Place Restaurant at International Business Park – not exactly brunch buffet but more like lunch buffet @ $19.80++ per pax, available daily from 11.30am to 2pm except on Sundays when they close – http://www.penangplace.com/. I tried this before, & have to say that I really enjoyed the spread. It is always very crowded though, so you definitely need to make reservations, even on weekdays. You can refer to the website for the buffet items.

2. Between $20 to $30, The Pearl River Palace Restaurant at Suntec City Convention Centre Level 3 – ala carte Cantonese lunch buffet @ $28++ per pax, available between 11.30am to 2.30pm on weekends.
Being such a traditional Chinese establishment, they do not have their own website. It seems like a good central venue for family get-together makan sessions on weekends with the usual Chinese restaurant fare, tim sum selection & desserts, & as usual, being able to shop after a heavy makan session is a plus point.

3. Above $30, Checkers Brasserie at Hilton Singapore – Sunday champagne buffet @ $160++ per pax, available from 12pm to 3pm. Without free flow champagne, it’s $70++ per adult & $25++ per child. http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/SINHITW-Hilton-Singapore-hotel/dining.do;jsessionid=17BE3DCE5A2E6071BC2B21DAF1E7FCAB.etc73#2. It sounds crazy to pay that kind of $$ for champagne plus lunch, especially when the atmosphere isn’t exactly leisurely or relaxed with a kids’ corner on the same premises. It also seemed so crowded and noisy in the show but if you have the cash to spare, can try for the seafood, western hot entrees like roast beef, foie gras (WOW!) & Yorkshire pudding, Indian cuisine like lamb kebabs & naans, Chinese selection like crepes with Peking duck and of course desserts.

Valid from Aug to October 2009!

I LOVEEEEE the mountains! SO so so so beautiful! The glimmering white shining on everyone faces! Pure and innocent! haha. The chilling cold, some people may fear, but i welcome it as i do not know when i will get to lie on it again! Singapore is such a warm country, southeast asians will know the terror of the heat all year round.

The food that was served was actually nothing great, but since i love jungfrau so much i shall blog about it! And hope to share with you some nice sceneries! Before we go to the pictures, i do wanna say the ice cream was fantastic! creamy and nice and look at the design of it! swiss made! haha.

Don’t you just love the view from the mountains? I sure do!

Cheers,
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

ShoppingLifeStyle.com occassionally sends me newletter with interesting articles about healthy diets. Here is one which you may find useful:

1. Up your fiber intake
A recent Danish study found that women who ate more fiber gained less weight with age, particularly around their middle, than women on low-fiber diets. So how much fiber should you aim to take? 25 to 30 grams a day, recommend experts. Good sources include fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

2. Eat frequently
Stress causes weight gain because when you’re often anxious or feeling overwhelmed, your body produces stress hormones like cortisol, which encourages the storage of fat in the abdomen. Studies have shown that hunger can trigger the same effect and send cortisol in overdrive, leading to an expanding waistline. To keep your hunger under control, eat five or six smaller meals instead of three main meals.

3. Cut back on salt
Sodium causes your body to retain fluids. That’s why a diet high in sodium can result in a bloated stomach as well as raise your blood pressure. Stay away from high-sodium culprits such as processed and canned foods, and whenever possible add flavor to your foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.

4. Eat less fast food
Here’s yet another proof that fast food isn’t exactly the most diet-friendly food around: A study by the University of Minnesota found that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an extra 10 pounds over 15 years, compared with people who ate fast food less than once a week. Fast foods are notoriously high in saturated fat and sodium, which not only lead to weight gain, but also elevate your risks of health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

5. Cut back on refined carbs
According to recent findings published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, it’s not the amount, but the kind of carbohydrates you consume, that triggers weight gain. Contrary to popular belief, overweight people don’t eat more carbs than normal-weight individuals, but nutrition researchers found that they are more inclined to eat an excess of refined carbs.

Refined carbohydrates are, for example, those found in sugar, white bread, white rice, white bread, pasta and cereals. Meals and snacks that are laden with refined carbs have a high glycemic index, meaning they quickly break down into sugar, causing insulin levels to skyrocket and blood sugar to spike. If this blood sugar is not used by the body, it is stored as fat.

Replace refined carbs with unrefined carbs (wholemeal bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, veggies) and protein (lean meat) in your diet — these nutrients break down more slowly, so you’ll stay fuller for longer.

Source: http://www.shoppinglifestyle.com/diet/article.asp?id=745&ap=1652

Regards,
Donovan,
TS.

My top recommendation for your Ramen fix! Located at CENTRAL, this restaurant is small, and there is always a long queue during peak hours. My longest wait was 1 hour and it is always worth it!

Firstly, the place was nice and cosy. Service was good and fast. The ramen texture was great, really springy and the soup was what steals the limelight. There are 3 soup base to choose from- 1) Muratama (chicken soup), 2) Karashi (spicy chicken soup), 3) Aka (with Nuts). I always go for the spicy one. A standard bowl of the ramen for $12 consists of 2 slices of char siew (don’t expect it to be enormous though), spring onions and seaweed. Add ons don’t come cheap- just a few slices more of char siew cost $4, an egg (the runny york, salty kind) for $1, seaweed $1, and even spring onions cost $1 as well. The price is a tad bit steep, but it’s absolutely worth it! My definite add on is the egg. And, when I feel rich, I’d go for the char siew as well. You can top up your noodles for $1, but that doesn’t come with soup, so you gotta make sure you still have soup left in your bowl! There is not much variety on the menu, but the quality of the food is really worth it all. A friend of mine once said, “you don’t know real ramen until you’ve been to marutama”. That is oh-so-true!

However, with the prices, please dont expect a fine dining experience. Its pretty much a eat and go kind of restaurant (I guess we gotta spare a thought for the long queue outside!).

Address:
6 Eu Tong Sen Street

#03-90/91 The Central

Singapore 059817

Tel: 6534 8077

TS Ratings:

This japanese restaurant was much talked about in the papers, and with the convincing long queues, I decided to visit. Surprisingly, the wait was pretty short. There were around 15 groups infront of me but I queued for barely 15 minutes.

However, the food was really kind of disappointed. I was expecting it to be much better, after all the rave. I ordered Ebi-mayo, Shio Seafood Ramen, and Shoyu Taro Ramen. All were too salty for me. Extremely salty, so much so that I couldn’t finish the food. At one point, I felt like I was eating plain salt. Even my partner, who loves everything extra savoury, finds the food a tad bit too salty. He loves it though, as anything-salty goes for him.

The ramen texture itself was pretty good though, and thats really all about it. The quantity wasn’t something to rave about as well. Price wise, it was an average to $13-$20 for a bowl of ramen. They had a 10% discount for Citibank card holders.

Doesn’t hurt to try this restaurant out I guess, but of cos, I dont highly recommend it for people who have light tastebuds.

*I apologise for the poor resolution of the photos! I forgot my trusty camera that day!

2 Orchard Turn
#B3-25 ION Orchard

Tel: 6509 9394

TS Ratings:

You’ve probably seen their commercial on TV before - three small little kids enjoying their food with their very own pot. Yes, that is what JuJu Hokkaido Hotpot is trying to sell. Their unique selling point, you won’t have to share your hotpot with the rest. You will have your own hotpot by yourself.

They work on couse meal concept, serving 6 course meal for Lunch and 7 course meal for dinner, with prices ranging between $19.80++ for lunch and $29.80++ for dinner. They serve anything from beef to seafood to fish and oh boy, they are really fresh. You will definitely be spoilt for choices. Moreover, their concept of semi-refined dining would amaze you. Probably with their first course which is the 70% cooked egg.

Nice concept and bravo to the ‘a pot to yourself’ concept. More infomation can be found at (http://www.juju-restaurant.com/menu.html).

Location: 1 Selegie Road, PoMo (Formerly known as Paradiz Centre), #B1-18, Singapore 188306

For reservations, please call 6336 6689

TS Ratings:

Doesn’t the word fondue, just make you hungry already! Come on peeps, let me see those hands of yours! How many of you are hungry just looking at the word!! haha. We headed to Interlaken and the surrounding mountains are just so beautiful. I am just going to keep saying how beautiful Switzerland is, so please bear with me, haha. I m sure those who went there or are staying there will agree with me and those who have not gone there, please go down at least once this life time.

We were scheduled to head to Jungfraujoch the following day and so we were at Interlaken to stay for the night. There is a pretty famous restaurant over there called Bebbis Restaurant. They serve a wide variety of food. The owner of the restaurant is really funny, loud and enthusiastic. He would get us to dance or sing or would perform for us!

We, of course, tried the swiss fondue set, which consist of the appetizer cheese fondue. Dipping toasted bread into the warm cheese, yummy! For our main course, was the Meat fondue. We had a variety of meat to choose from. After dipping the meat into the soup base, we were given a huge selection of sauces to choose from. Nice!! Lastly, we had the chocolate fondue for dessert! Marsmallows, biscuit and fruits! You must be really hungry right now! This is not the end. check out the pictures below!!! wooohooo!

Happy drooling!
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings: