Archive for the Category ◊ Cuisine Type ◊

07 Oct 2009 Sushi Tei

This is another restaurant i love to patronise. The food served are always nice to savour! The crab fried rice which i bought is really tasty and the crab meat is fresh and succulent! Yum! The green tea cold soba’s texture is nice and smooth. Dip it into the sauce and slurp it down ur throat! Careful not to choke! The tempura, unagi and chicken were really good too! Haven been to Sushi Tei?? Head down now!

This time round we headed to the one at Paragon, Orchard Road, Singapore.

Itadakimasu!
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

07 Oct 2009 Long Beach Dinner Set

I’ve been always praising Long Beach’s food, we decided to order a dinner set this time round to celebrate my granny’s bday! However, not all the dishes were great. I guess, it better to choose individually the dishes you want to eat! The seafish, prawns and steam fish were really good. The crab they served was salted egg style, but its no where as good as the crab specialist’s one at Choa chu kang, SIngapore. The noodles were not up to standard too. But overall, we still enjoyed the meal! Its LONG BEACH after all! haha.

Yum Seng!
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

18 Sep 2009 Tung Lok Seafood Arena

Tung Lok has a chain of restaurant all around. Tung Lok Seafood Arena is the one at Jurong. It was my first time there and so happened they had a wedding dinner there! They asked if we do not mind giving the couple a red packet (chinese tradition to give a red packet with money inside) and join them for the wedding dinner! haha. Nono, thats not it. They asked if we are fine with dining in a small room by the side of the restaurant. We, being easy-going peeps, said yes!

We ordered stir-fried kang kong, deer meat, claypot seabass and a plate of steam prawns. We wanted to order crabs, but that day they were all sold out! But, its alright the fish and especially the prawns made up for it. The prawns were super tasty and fresh and nice with the complementing steam egg and sauce. Perfect! I highly recommend the prawns.

Oh the Luo Han Guo Tea is free flow! If you intend to hold your wedding there, do invite me!!! =D

Location:
Tung Lok Arena Pte Ltd
511 Upper Jurong Road
The Arena Country Club
Singapore 638366

Tel : +65 6262 6996
Fax : +65 6262 6776
Website: http://www.tunglok.com/TLseafoodA/print/info.html

Cheers,
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

11 Sep 2009 LaConcorde Le Plat

I love French cuisine! Simply terrific! I know, i seem to love everything! I count my blessings to be able to enjoy the good food all around! When we were at Paris, we stopped by this restaurant. They served some bread and escargot(snails) for appetizer. The main course was rooster meat and potatoes. Ended the meal with an assortment of cheese and a sweet caramel cake. I really enjoy eating escargots! Here, they cooked them really well and the sauce that they use is really tasty! I did not waste a single drop of it. I used the bread to wipe the sauce dry! haha.

Rooster meat is not too bad. The marinate they use is good. The last picture is foie gras (pronounced /fwɑːˈɡrɑː/ in English) (Fah Gwah). Its not from the restaurant. We got it from the a supermarket. They had a wide selection and we wanted to eat on the spot so we ordered this chunk of fat goose liver! I love the taste and texture of it! Its really unique! However, trying it once is okay, but we should keep eating them due to the cruelty behind making foie gras. They actually force feed the goose to make their liver fat! Oh my, can you imagine me force feeding you till ur liver becomes fat and delicious?? Alright enough said, enjoy the fotos!

Bon appetit!
Donovan
TS.

TS Ratings:

07 Sep 2009 Delicious pastries from Europe!
 |  Category: Pastries, Swiss, Switzerland  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

Whenever i walk past a bakery or pastry shop, i will leave a trail of drool behind! Sometimes i just can’t resist and step into the shop to buy a pastry or 2. Its really fresh and nice and yummy and awesome!! Look at the wide varieties and beauty, colours! How attractive! You simply cant resist them!

Oh btw, all these are from Switzerland! Tmr i shall show u some from France! Very good too!

I cant wait to travel to Europe again! I hope its soon soon soon! Sponsers? Anyone out there? =D

Cheers,
Donovan,
TS.

TS Ratings:

22 Aug 2009 Restaurant Pizzeria

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:

18 Aug 2009 Buffet List
 |  Category: Articles, Buffet  | Leave a Comment

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. Its 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 havent 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, whats 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 Brios 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 didnt seem as international as Café Brios, 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 Im to choose between Café Brios & Olive Tree, Ill 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 its $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 its 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. Its got a reasonably good spread, just dont 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 Im not going to say too much. I have never tried it since I dont fancy gorging myself on chocolate, not that I dont love chocolate, but I just dont 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, its $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 isnt 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.


18 Aug 2009 Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe!
 |  Category: Switzerland, Western  | Tags: , , ,  | Leave a Comment

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:

16 Aug 2009 Marutama Ra-Men
 |  Category: Japanese  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

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:

16 Aug 2009 Aoba Ramen @ Ion
 |  Category: Japanese, Orchard Road  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

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!

Orchard Turn
#B3-25 ION Orchard

Tel: 6509 9394

TS Ratings: