There are so many eating places to try, yet so little time (not to mention so little stomach space too) to do so. As I plan the next eatery I wish to visit, here's a list of restaurants that I really want to try.
Cafe La Chateau - Valley Point
Tampopo - Liang Court
Tetsuya - Tanglin
Heart Bistro - Palaise Renaissance
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Nara Japanese Restaurant
The gang and I were scouting around for a late dinner when we drove by Nara Japanese Restaurant along Maju Avenue at Serangoon Gardens. As PT had generously offered to give us a treat, we decided to give this place a shot. Parking in Serangoon Gardens is madness. It's almost impossible to find a lot and worse still, almost every lot is a parallel lot (shudder). Luckily, PT managed to grab a lot just metres from the restaurant.
Nara's a quiet, spacious place with warm cosy lighting and comfortable booths. Service was excellent, and a new waiter who served us was attentive and friendly.
Once we sat down, a raw veggy salad and a tasty miso dip was served. Not bad, I thought, until I realised that I was charged $4 for this dish. Kena conned!
PT, as usual, wanted MEAT and so ordered the Beef Bulgogi. These well-seasoned slices were lightly grilled to melt-in-your mouth tenderness.
I wanted something fresh and since PT was paying, what the heck, I ordered a plate of Sashimi Moriwase.
Even at 8 plus, the sashimi was fresh and firm and the tuna slices were fantastic!
FT ordered the Nara Ramen. It wasn't as good as I had expected as the soup was quite diluted, unlike the rich, thick stock we have come to expect. No pics here as all you would see would be whitish soup with several floating leafy vegetables.
The Tempura Soft Shell Crab was so-so. I tasted lots of batter but hardly any crab.
JT's chicken porridge was interesting and tasted quite different from the usual chinese congee. It was made from the Japanese sticky rice, so that alone enhanced the taste. It arrived bubbling hot in a claypot, which gave it a deep smoky flavour. JT complainted about it though, preferring the lighter flavour of the Chinese congee.
Nara Japanese Restaurant
10 Maju Avenue
Nara's a quiet, spacious place with warm cosy lighting and comfortable booths. Service was excellent, and a new waiter who served us was attentive and friendly.
Once we sat down, a raw veggy salad and a tasty miso dip was served. Not bad, I thought, until I realised that I was charged $4 for this dish. Kena conned!
PT, as usual, wanted MEAT and so ordered the Beef Bulgogi. These well-seasoned slices were lightly grilled to melt-in-your mouth tenderness.
I wanted something fresh and since PT was paying, what the heck, I ordered a plate of Sashimi Moriwase.
Even at 8 plus, the sashimi was fresh and firm and the tuna slices were fantastic!
FT ordered the Nara Ramen. It wasn't as good as I had expected as the soup was quite diluted, unlike the rich, thick stock we have come to expect. No pics here as all you would see would be whitish soup with several floating leafy vegetables.
The Tempura Soft Shell Crab was so-so. I tasted lots of batter but hardly any crab.
JT's chicken porridge was interesting and tasted quite different from the usual chinese congee. It was made from the Japanese sticky rice, so that alone enhanced the taste. It arrived bubbling hot in a claypot, which gave it a deep smoky flavour. JT complainted about it though, preferring the lighter flavour of the Chinese congee.
Nara Japanese Restaurant
10 Maju Avenue
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant
It's been a long while since I last embarked on a makan adventure. So I rallied the usual gang and we set off for Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant.
Numerous reviews have already been made on this restaurant and the common grouse was that the quality of the food was inconsistent. Fortunately for us, the visit turned out quite favourably.
The decor was bright, spacious and simple with cosy corners if you want more privacy. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet. Surprisingly, it was also rather empty, with only about one-third of the tables occupied. I wondered with some trepidation if it was a sign of the food quality.
The menu, though limited, carried the usual Korean fare - soups, grills, rice and noodles. In fact, all the Korean restaurants that I'd been to seem to carry only a limited number of dishes. Is this the norm? Anyway, with FT and JT with us, we decided to play safe and order the usual favourites.
What I look forward to when eating at a Korean restuarant (besides the kimshi) is the interesting sides that are served at the start of the meal. No two restaurants serve the same dishes. Over at Auntie Kim's, 6 different dishes were served. My favourite was the dried beef jerky with dried chilli. The thin chewy slices were packed with meaty flavour The kimchi, too, came with good kick.
PT, as usual, went for the meat dishes. The Dak Bulgogi ($14.50) or bbq marinated pork was juicy and delicately flavoured with a hint of sweetness and spiciness.
Next came the Marinated Grilled Short Ribs ($27) which was a hit with FT. I dipped the slices in sesame paste, sprinkled some garlic and red chillis and wrapped the meat with green leafy lettuce. I don't quite know what was put in the marinate, but it kept us coming back for more.
Numerous reviews have already been made on this restaurant and the common grouse was that the quality of the food was inconsistent. Fortunately for us, the visit turned out quite favourably.
The decor was bright, spacious and simple with cosy corners if you want more privacy. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet. Surprisingly, it was also rather empty, with only about one-third of the tables occupied. I wondered with some trepidation if it was a sign of the food quality.
The menu, though limited, carried the usual Korean fare - soups, grills, rice and noodles. In fact, all the Korean restaurants that I'd been to seem to carry only a limited number of dishes. Is this the norm? Anyway, with FT and JT with us, we decided to play safe and order the usual favourites.
What I look forward to when eating at a Korean restuarant (besides the kimshi) is the interesting sides that are served at the start of the meal. No two restaurants serve the same dishes. Over at Auntie Kim's, 6 different dishes were served. My favourite was the dried beef jerky with dried chilli. The thin chewy slices were packed with meaty flavour The kimchi, too, came with good kick.
PT, as usual, went for the meat dishes. The Dak Bulgogi ($14.50) or bbq marinated pork was juicy and delicately flavoured with a hint of sweetness and spiciness.
Next came the Marinated Grilled Short Ribs ($27) which was a hit with FT. I dipped the slices in sesame paste, sprinkled some garlic and red chillis and wrapped the meat with green leafy lettuce. I don't quite know what was put in the marinate, but it kept us coming back for more.
After checking out what the table next to us was eating, I decided to order the Egg Pancake with Seafood ($16). It was a huge serving, enough to feed 4. This was quite a filling dish with a heavy batter. In fact, it tasted like a giant version of the small round oyster pancake that one finds at pasar malams. I couldn't really taste the seafood and I felt that I was just eating a really huge piece of carrot cake.
On the whole, the food was not bad. It did not have the usual heavy handedness of seasoning (and msg) that is frequently found in Korean restaurants.Service as friendly and attentive and prices are reasonable.
Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant
265 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: 6425 2112
Monday, January 4, 2010
Prata @ Serangoon Gardens
PT discovered this Prata joint at Serangoon Gardens and brought us all there for breakfast one Sunday.
Now what do I consider to be good prata? Well, firstly, the prata must be served piping hot. Secondly, it must be crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - got to have that little crunch with every bite. The prata served here meets both criteria. Even the prata with egg was light and airy. Unfortunately, I was almost done with my pratas before I realised that I forgot to take the pictures.
Luckily, I still had the tissue prata. It was crispy and light, right down to the edges. And the generous sprinkling of sugar on the inside made this a hot favourite with JT and FT.
A cup of Teh Tarik was a wonderful, aromatic complement to the meal.
Now what do I consider to be good prata? Well, firstly, the prata must be served piping hot. Secondly, it must be crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - got to have that little crunch with every bite. The prata served here meets both criteria. Even the prata with egg was light and airy. Unfortunately, I was almost done with my pratas before I realised that I forgot to take the pictures.
Luckily, I still had the tissue prata. It was crispy and light, right down to the edges. And the generous sprinkling of sugar on the inside made this a hot favourite with JT and FT.
A cup of Teh Tarik was a wonderful, aromatic complement to the meal.
Macau Day 4 (Dim Sum)
On our last day in Macau, we went all out for our Dim Sum Feast. Portas do Sol at the Lisboa Hotel serves one of the best dim sums in Macau. What differentiates this restaurant from the rest is its novel take on traditional dim sum dishes. Service is exceptional too. Tucked away in an obscure corner of the East Wing, it was a tough restaurant to fnd. Nonetheless, it's a highly popular restaurant and be prepared for a long wait if you do not make a reservation.
There were so many interesting items on the menu that we over ordered. Just look at the spread.
The most interesting dish (and one of the tastiest too) was the curry crab tartlets. Fresh crab meat was cooked in creamy delicate curry and served in crumbly little cups of sweet pastry.
The little cubes of steamed brinjal topped with seafood pate was also delicious. The heavy seasoning of the fish masqueraded the taste of the brinjal and PT, who absolutely hates brinjals, was popping the little fellows into his mouth with gusto.
The glutinous rice was surprisingly tasty. The rectangular pieces of rices were stuffed with sweet meat filling was fried until crisp. I really enjoyed crunching through the crispy exterior and taking a mouthful of gooey rice.
There were so many interesting items on the menu that we over ordered. Just look at the spread.
The most interesting dish (and one of the tastiest too) was the curry crab tartlets. Fresh crab meat was cooked in creamy delicate curry and served in crumbly little cups of sweet pastry.
The little cubes of steamed brinjal topped with seafood pate was also delicious. The heavy seasoning of the fish masqueraded the taste of the brinjal and PT, who absolutely hates brinjals, was popping the little fellows into his mouth with gusto.
Unlike to usual fried wantons, these came with a refreshing orange dip.
The roast goose was one of the best that I've ever tasted. There was a smokey intensity to the juicy meat. The waitress was concerned that the half goose that we ordered was too much for the 5 of us. Ha! I polished off almost half of the bird on my own.
Just like the East Ocean Restaurant, selected dim sums are served in cute animal shapes. One such dish is the custard bun. Shaped like little porcupines, these little creatures were almost too lovely to eat. (But we ate them anyway)
JT and FT loved the fried rice. Though it was cooked simply with mushrooms and chicken, each grain of rice was coated with flavour.
This was one of the best meals we had in Macau. A great end to a fastastic holiday!
Portas do Sol
Hotel Lisboa
2/F East Wing
(853) 8803 3100
Monday, December 28, 2009
Macau Day 3 (Taipa Crab Porridge)
At 12pm sharp I plonked myself right outside Seng Cheong Restaurant. It was not a moment too soon. The crowd arrived in droves and by the time we were ushered upstairs, the restaurant was already half full.
We ordered a large bowl of the famous crab porridge. The porridge is made by simmering the rice with whole river crabs and crab roe, hence the light yellow tint. The rich taste of crab and roe is richly infused into the porridge and the crab retained its fresh sweetness despite being stewed in the porridge.
This eel dish was just plain weird. The eel was steamed in a wonderfully fragrant garlic and black bean sauce but it was tough, chewy and had the taste of river. It also had a tough skin that was difficult to remove.
I didn't take to the deep-fried fishballs either. Food reviewers described it as bouncy and fresh. When I excitedly took my first bite, it was like no fishball that I've ever tasted. The inside was grey and the fishballs were slimy. There was also a very strong, almost overwhelming fishy aftertaste.
Luckily, the Black Pepper Lala was spicy enough to wipe away the taste of the fishballs and eel. Cooked wih onions, capsicum and green chillis, the delectable little critters slipped right off their shells and into our tummies.
We ordered a large bowl of the famous crab porridge. The porridge is made by simmering the rice with whole river crabs and crab roe, hence the light yellow tint. The rich taste of crab and roe is richly infused into the porridge and the crab retained its fresh sweetness despite being stewed in the porridge.
This eel dish was just plain weird. The eel was steamed in a wonderfully fragrant garlic and black bean sauce but it was tough, chewy and had the taste of river. It also had a tough skin that was difficult to remove.
I didn't take to the deep-fried fishballs either. Food reviewers described it as bouncy and fresh. When I excitedly took my first bite, it was like no fishball that I've ever tasted. The inside was grey and the fishballs were slimy. There was also a very strong, almost overwhelming fishy aftertaste.
Luckily, the Black Pepper Lala was spicy enough to wipe away the taste of the fishballs and eel. Cooked wih onions, capsicum and green chillis, the delectable little critters slipped right off their shells and into our tummies.
The deep fried prawns in salted egg yolk was right up there with the crab porridge. The prawns were slathered over with generous dollops of salted egg yolk and deep fried to a crisp. The combination of sweet prawns, crispy shell and salty yolk was a winning combination.
The deep fried squid with with chilli slices was another dish that I enjoyed very much. The batter was light and crispy and the squid retained a soft chewiness.
Seng Chong delivers what it promises. It's definitely a place that I'll return to (sans the eel and fishball)
Seng Cheong
30 Rua do Cunha, Taipa
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Macau Day 3 (Taipa Pork Buns)
We took a side trip to Taipa today to try Macau's famous Pork Chop Buns and Crab Porridge.
Taipa is a suburban residential area without the claustrophobic chaos of the Peninsular. It possesses a laid back charm and the main street is lined with varied and interesting restaurants.
The Pork Chop Bun has been billed as a must have in Macau. Put very simply, it's a slab of pork placed between 2 slices of toasted bun with no dressing whatsoever. When I first heard about it, I wasn't too keen. The snack sounded dry and gamey. But, when I had my first bite at the Festivita Market at the Venetian, I was pleasantly surprised by how tender and flavourful it was. So it was with keen anticipation that I looked forward to the 'die die must try' pork buns in Taipa.
The buns are sold at Tai Lei Loi Kei. Everyday at 3.00pm. Again, it's a dingy, outdoor eatery. It seems to be a disturbing trend here: the more questionable the premise, the more delicious the food.
Special soft crusty bread is baked for the buns. Queues are so long that the buns are sold out by 4 plus. I was there at 11.00am, much too early to try the special buns. Nonetheless I placed a order to their regular buns just to give it a try.
I must say that the buns here beat those at the Venetian hands down. The pork is grilled to juicy perfection and the warm juices seep into the bread, doubling up as a tasty dressing. There is literally a huge piece of pork chop in between the buns.
Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei
Taipa
Taipa is a suburban residential area without the claustrophobic chaos of the Peninsular. It possesses a laid back charm and the main street is lined with varied and interesting restaurants.
The Pork Chop Bun has been billed as a must have in Macau. Put very simply, it's a slab of pork placed between 2 slices of toasted bun with no dressing whatsoever. When I first heard about it, I wasn't too keen. The snack sounded dry and gamey. But, when I had my first bite at the Festivita Market at the Venetian, I was pleasantly surprised by how tender and flavourful it was. So it was with keen anticipation that I looked forward to the 'die die must try' pork buns in Taipa.
The buns are sold at Tai Lei Loi Kei. Everyday at 3.00pm. Again, it's a dingy, outdoor eatery. It seems to be a disturbing trend here: the more questionable the premise, the more delicious the food.
Special soft crusty bread is baked for the buns. Queues are so long that the buns are sold out by 4 plus. I was there at 11.00am, much too early to try the special buns. Nonetheless I placed a order to their regular buns just to give it a try.
I must say that the buns here beat those at the Venetian hands down. The pork is grilled to juicy perfection and the warm juices seep into the bread, doubling up as a tasty dressing. There is literally a huge piece of pork chop in between the buns.
Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei
Taipa
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