29 June, 2007

Veggies Delight!

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Small Talk: Yes, it seems predictable - going back to the same place, eating the same food. But who is to say a foodie cannot return to the same place twice and sample the same food? No doubt coupled with the fact that I am running tight to sample new places, what is wrong with sampling it twice? Besides, I am not allergic to same food, only bad tasting ones...
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I have no problem admitting that I was back for the Crème Brulee – so smooth, and so tasty with the thin layer of sugar coating. But with the nudging of a very persuasive waitress, (I have to admit that she was kinda attractive) I discovered upon their amazing salad. First, I have to admit that I was never a vegetarian person, but their serving of salad was HUGE and their ingredients were fresh. Served in a fanciful lop-sided bowl, the Parisienne Salad, or the Lettuce Salad with Cubes of Ham, Cubes of Emmenthal Cheese, Mushrooms and Tomatoes, was an enjoyment.

Crunchy Veggies topped with delicious Cubes of Ham that was a delight to chew on and Cubes of medium-hard Swiss Cheese with its piquant, but not really sharp taste, also seeks to add pleasure to the mixed. On the other hand, the Norvégienne Salad, or the Rocket Salad with Smoked Salmon, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber served with 1/3 Lemon was just as refreshing.

I personally love the bitter taste of Rocket Salad mixed with hint of Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Shaved Parmesan Cheese, but the Norvégienne Salad definitely topped that by the inclusion of the lip-smacking Salmon and wring of lemon juice. Besides the Crème Brulee, we also sampled the Tiramisu - check out the presentation of the dessert!

Even though I find the liquor a tad too strong for my liking, my friend simply loved it! What’s more, with the GST hike taking place next month, you can get a steal of a set meal consisting of a Main, Dessert and a Drink for $15 flat. Hint: Opt for the Apple Juice, because it tasted so good!

I would definitely be back for the salad.

Rating

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 16/20
1, HarbourFront Walk
#01-163, Vivocity
Singapore 098585





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21 June, 2007

Déjà vu II

And so it seems like this is the month for repeat dining (click here for my previous déjà vu experience). I found myself back at Central Mall @ Clarke Quay for lunch today, sitting at a table facing the same view of the Singapore River, and facing the same dilemma of what to order at Waraku – you see, based on my preceding occurrence at their outlet in Orchard, everything in their menu looks delicious and reasonably priced. After a long deliberation, I finally decided on the Chirashi Sushi & Wakame Soba Set, or the Vinegared Rice topped with Fresh Raw Seafood and Thin Egg Slices, along with a bowl of Buckwheat Noodles Soup garnished with Seaweed.

Although the Soba was extraordinary lacklustre – as it tasted like any other instant noodles, but with a softer texture, the Chirashi was up to scratch. Not only was the presentation of the dish enthralling, the ingredients were fresh.


It was especially pure pleasure for the Large Reddish Salmon Roe to go with the rice – each bite produces an amazing explosion of saltiness (due to a method handed down from the Taisho Period (1912-1926) of using salt to preserve the salmon roe) – simply bringing me back to memories lane of my last Chirashi Bowl in David Jones Basement, Perth.

Rating

Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 15/20
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-89/97/98
The Central
Singapore 059817



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18 June, 2007

Black Pig Hot Pot

In Chinese, "hot pot" is often called 火鍋; where huǒ means "fire" and guō refers to "pot", whereas in Japan, it is known as Shabu-shabu.

Unlike our Chinese Steamboat where the emphasis is the broth – which is made up of lots of ingredients to make the soup tasty – in Shabu-shabu the emphasis is on relishing the original flavour of the meat, so only clear water is used to cook the meat.

Having brought my parents to Marutama Ramen for dinner, we chanced upon Tom Ton, located just two units away, which specialise in Kurobuta Shabu-shabu.

Kurobuta, which is Japanese Black Hog, is 100% pure all-natural Berkshire pork.

Regarded as the highest quality pork in the world, the meat is said to be a combination of a sweet, rich flavour, and its delicate texture, unbelievable level of juiciness, and its excellent marbling, will really have you begging for more.

The hot pot is accompanied with Soba, and a "special dipping sauce" (as quoted from the waitress) which somehow taste like Miso.

Instead of the familiar sesame dip that my family is used to when we eat at home, we were instructed that everything from the vegetables to the meat, as well as the soba, goes into the dip - no wonder it is special, it is a multi purpose dip! Since they specialised in pork, our sides are both pork dishes as well.

The Miso-topped Grilled Pork was aromatic and tender, and each time you sink your teeth to it, juices from the meat overflow from within - a pity the serving was pretty pathetic. The other side we tried was the Tonkatsu Kurobuta.

Although their version was good, I felt their sister outlet at Tampopo served a meaner and fattier version of it. Overall, the food was good and the ambience - overlooking the Singapore River was fantastic, however the odds of us returning are very slim.

We felt that it was not valued for money, as the serving was pathetic for the price we paid (we had to stuff ourselves with bowls or rice and soba), and service was also found wanting as we waited for ten minutes for our table even though reservation was made. Also tough luck that the view did not bowled us over since our family stayed at Clark Quay for a good 20 years before we relocated!

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 2.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 2/5
Total: 12.5/20
The Central #03-88/89
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
Singapore 059817



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14 June, 2007

Diluting the Niche

Niche – a position particularly well suited to the object which occupies it.

With it’s positioning of a casual dining café specialising in desserts, this word applies very well to Bakerzin. However, with more competition entering the dessert and café market, Bakerzin decided to diversify into the “mains” of a dining experience.

Having been so successful with their desserts, we decided to give the pasta a go for our dinner. With the Linguini Vongole (Linguini and Clams in White Wine Sauce) always unavailable, we opted for the Mussels Linguini (Spicy) instead.

Infused with garlic, parsley and fresh chilli for the extra vigour, the dish came with huge, meaty mussels. However, the pasta might be a touch too spicy for some, and I personally felt that it was too soupy for a pasta dish. Opting for the more traditional tomato based pasta, we went along with the Meatball Spaghetti.

Although the Beef Meatball is really huge, it was not marinated and salted to taste. The tomato base was also found lacking in taste – very disappointing! The only one that was fine that night was the Linguini in Mushroom Cream Sauce. Mushrooms were plentiful and the sauce was the only out of the three that packed punch.

The Diced Shitake Mushrooms and Abalone Mushrooms also provided a harmonious complement to each other with its texture on every bite. Lastly, we were also each served a complimentary serving of Rum and Raisin Ice Cream at the end of the meal.

Although it was pretty good, the ice cream was served melted!!! My advice to Bakerzin is – "Stick to your niche in desserts and stop diluting your brand with sub standard mains".

Rating

Food: 2/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 12.5/20
Raffles City
252 North Bridge Road
#01-18A/19
Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103 [CLOSED]


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11 June, 2007

Déjà vu

Déjà vu it was! Not only did I head back to Pek Kio for the $10 dry version of Wah Kee Prawn Noodle, which I may add is scrumptious, (the generous portion of lard on the Mee Kia and those gigantic XXL sized-prawns full of roe are every reasons why you should go try it!!!) I also decided to pay a visit to Marutama Ramen to try out its Holy Grail – the Aka Ramen. Describe as Marutama original ramen, the soup base is made of Seven Kinds of Nuts topped with Coriander.

As compared to their chicken soup base, by far Aka Ramen’s broth won effortlessly. The rich brew is flavoursome enough, even before sprinkling the Fried Garlic Chips and Sesame Seed. What’s more a wring of the Lemon gives an invigorating twist to the soup. Although the Meatballs are nothing to shout about, Marutama’s springy noodles are a reminder why I came back for in the first place. We also ordered the Yaki Char Siu, or Grilled Sliced Roast Pork as a side.

A slightly thicker version of those that came with the noodle, the pork slices were mouth-watering, especially when you sink your teeth and nibble at the meat along with the layer of fats that came with it. However, I am beginning to find the queue of fifteen minutes for a table during peak period a little annoying - considering that Central Mall isn’t fully launched yet. Perhaps a good time for an expansion?

Rating

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 15.5/20
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-90/91 The Central
Singapore 059817



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07 June, 2007

A Fishy Hot Pot

Situated at the corner of a coffeeshop between Jalan Sultan and North Bridge Road – directly opposite Textile Centre, is Nan Hua Chong Fish Head Steamboat Corner.

Without a doubt, whenever my family craves for a good dinner of fish head steamboat, this stall is the place for it. Their specialty lies in their 松鱼头, or Big Head Carp Steamboat. A freshwater fish, it is value mainly for its large scale-less head.

Those who are knowledgeable about freshwater fish would be acquainted with its “muddy” taste when cooked, however at this stall, the fish head is skilfully rid of that – leaving you nothing but the delicious chunky fish meat. The soup is also tasty and overflowing with seaweed, vegetables and yam in it.

And if you are still not convinced, or cautious against consuming fish head, there is always the reliable Pomfret to dip into the steamboat. These pomfret slices are very fresh and comes thick and big.

And fear not if you are not a big fan of fish. Besides fish steamboat, they also served other side dishes. The Oyster Omelette was a little disappointing though – the egg was thin and the oyster was overcooked, thus shrunk. However, the Deep Fried Beancurd was simply delightful.

It was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside – a good balance.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 14.5/20
814/816, North Bridge Road
Singapore 198779
(Beside Alsagoff Arab School)



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03 June, 2007

Prawns Bisque

After a rave review by the popular food blogger, Dr Leslie Tay, of ieatishootipost, I could not resist to find out about this particular stall located at Cambridge Road Food Centre, also known to many as Pek Kio. Those who have read his blog would realise that it is hard to come by that he would dished out a rating of 4.75 out of 5 on any particular stall, but Wah Kee Prawn Noodles has the such accolade.

Formerly located at Farrer Park, the secret to their prawn noodle lies in the soup. Described as “that unique taste you get in Lobster Bisque” and “(the) extract of crustacean shell and all the stuff in the head” by Leslie, the soup is really different from that of many, including Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee, which I have blogged before. Their soup is not as salty and much “cloudy” – due to the essence of the prawns.

And if you are really into this prawn makan business, go ahead and try the $10 serving.

The boss guaranteed that the prawns are freshly catch everyday and man are they HUGE!!!

Personally, I felt that the soup has the “punch” but a bit saltier would be excellent. However, the good thing about eating at Pek Kio is that it is not so crowded during lunchtime and there are always tables available.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 15.5/20
Blk 41A Cambridge Road,
#01-15
Pek Kio Market And Food Court Centre
Singapore 211041



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01 June, 2007

Enjoy the Harmony!

Located at ground floor of StarHub Building, off Orchard Road behind Centrepoint and Cuppage Terrace lies one among the five outlets of Waraku. The name "WARAKU" consists of two Chinese characters, "wa" meaning "harmony" and 'raku" meaning "enjoy".

What the establishment probably wish for is for their customer to relax, and enjoy the harmony of their dining experience. Opened in year 2000, the Waraku Orchard branch launched their “New Grand Menu” in the beginning of this year.

Looking at the menu, I could not resist ordering the Kaminabe Wazen, despite it sounding a smidgen naughty. The set consists of Sliced Beef & Vegetables in Paper Hotpot, Salmon Sashimi, Vegetables and Prawn Tempura and a bowl of rice – and if you think it sounds good. It looked even better in real. The ingredients were plentiful and packed close to the brim of the paper hotpot, that it made cooking the beef in the soup broth difficult.

Both the salmon sashimi and tempura was good as well, but a pity that I finished them up before I had a chance to take the photo. Overall, a pretty satisfying experience considering that the price was reasonable and there are hundreds of choices to choose from the menu – excellent for some who cannot make up their minds – and you know who you are.

Rating

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 15/20
51 Cuppage Road
#01-12 StarHub Centre
Singapore 229469
(off Orchard Road behind Centrepoint and Cuppage Terrace)



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