Salmonia!

Ok, I think this is about time that I fulfill my responsibility as a sister in the sorority – posting in this blog!

On Saturday, after watching Yanice’s, one of our sisters, dance performance with empty stomach, we decided to head to Clarke Quay to grab some food. Everywhere was full ‘cos it was a Saturday night, so in the end we ended up at TCC.

I was pleasantly surprised that TCC turns out to serve great food in addition to its famous coffee (though I don’t drink coffee for that matter)!

Menu: Kahlua Salmon

Venue: TCC Clarke Quay (can be found in all TCC outlets actually)

Price: $16.50

Verdict: 4/5 (yummy!)

There was a choice between medium done or well done, and I chose the medium one. It was awesome! The salmon was cooked just nice, not too raw, not overcooked. It was juicy, tender and was draped in a unique sauce, special creation of TCC. It has a tint of coffee in it and other things that I can’t identify xP I don’t normally take coffee (even in a pathetically small dose), but the taste of coffee in the sauce is what makes the food a tick! The salmon was served along with mashed potatoes, which was also nice. The only drawback was perhaps its price – all the food there is quite pricy considering that it’s a café. Nevertheless, it’s still a must-try from TCC!

‘tiL then,

Serla =)

flavours of thailand

Yes you guessed it! Where else can you taste the flavours of Thailand? The very popular Thai Express has always never failed to impress me with the greater variety of dishes (main courses, appetisers, desserts etc.) that they offer; all at affordable prices.

Menu: Poo Phat Pung Kari (Curried Softshell Crab)
Venue: Thai Express
Price: S$ 10.90 (price excludes GST and Service Charge)
Verdict: 3.5/5

What I loved about this dish was the crab. It was softshell! Which means you don’t have to de-shell the crab to savour it. Served with thai fragrant rice (duh what else? ) this dish hit the spot. It was spicy so yes plain rice was good to balance out the dish’s overall spicyness. However I felt that garnish could have been a little better. Because the crab was curried, the lettuce, onions and cucumbers seemed like they were in a mess. But other than that, everything else about the dish was good! Especially if you love spicy food, Thai Express is the place to be.

Cheerios,
tina

P.S. – For more info http://www.thaiexpress.com.sg

Swaadhisht

This time, I relished the amazing flavours of India at Swaadhisht. In sanskrit (an ancient Indo-Aryan language), swaadhist means tasty and they most definitely lived up to their name. Located in Little India, the restaurant serves a variety of both North and South Indian dishes. But they’re specialized mostly in South-Western Indian cuisine (mainly food inspired from the region of Kerela in India).

Menu: Chicken Dum Briyani
Venue: Swaadhisht
Price: S$ 9.00
Verdict: 4.5/5

This is their signature dish and it was the best briyani I’ve had in Singapore!

The rice was fragrant and the chicken that came along with it (it’s buried inside the pot so you can’t really see it), was tender and delicious. The portion is more than enough for 2 persons.

Don’t be deceived by the plain look of this dish. I know it looks like plain basmati rice (the kind of rice used to make briyani). However, you need to taste it to believe when I say that this is one of the best briyanis I’ve had here.

Menu: Chettinad Chicken
Venue: Swaadhisht
Price: S$ 6.00
Verdict: 4/5

This was like an accompaniment for the briyani, especially if you enjoy gravy with your rice. While the portions were not huge, the gravy was smooth and extremely tasty. The dish was garnished with just enough spices and it was quite obvious that coconut was used to add to the extreme taste of this dish!

We had to wait at least a good 20 minutes before the dishes arrived but trust me it’s worth the wait. The chicken was cooked just right. Like most of us, I tend to dislike ala-carte non-vegetarian dishes that have been overcooked or re-heated just minutes after the order. However at most of the Indian restaurants that I’ve been to, that’s what happens with exceptions to this one of course!

Their service was excellent because they gave us all dessert on the house, despite having ordered only ala-carte dishes! Is that great or what?! The pricing was not too over-priced especially when I compare them to their direct rivals (restaurants that serve similar dishes that are located within close proximity from them). On the whole, it was an excellent and fullfilling experience for me at swaadhist. Can’t wait to get back there!

Cheerios,
Tina

PS – For more info visit http://www.swaadhisht-singapore.com

crêpe’d up

I finally made my first trip to Out of the Pan. I’m pretty sure everyone who frequents Raffles City knows that place. Located at B1, just below the escalators and around the fountain area. That’s the place!

This restaurant is especially for those who prefer to have a light and simple meal. Although the menu had limited choices of main course with only one type of food (crêpes) it had a variety of desserts and drinks. However today wasn’t a day for dessert or drinks so I had a crêpe.

So what on earth is a crêpe? It’s a type of very thin pancake, originating from France. Crêpes are prepared by pouring the thin batter onto a pan. It is usually made of wheat but there are other variations too.

Menu: Cheesy Chicken Sausage crêpe (Whole Wheat)
Venue: Out of the Pan
Price: S$ 13.00
Verdict: 3/5

The crêpe was not elaborate and perfect for me this afternoon as I wasn’t hungry and did not want a heavy meal.

The chicken sausages were well sauté and smeared with just the right amount of cheese. I personally prefer not to have too much of cheese in my meal. Too much of any type of accompaniment ruins the whole meal!

The salad that came as a side was fresh and without any dressing. But it was definitely a good side for the crêpe.

While there was no variety in the kind of food served there, I was thankful that I at least had the option of choosing the type of crêpe I wanted; plain, whole wheat or sun-dried tomato.

On the whole I enjoyed my meal today. The service was good. The waiters were quick to take our orders and bring our orders. They filled our glasses before they got empty and eventually brought the bill without having to make us wait for long. However I do feel that they restaurant could have offered more variety for the customers, instead of just serving different types of crêpes.

Cheerios,
tina

Authentic Thai Food..

So today I had a Royal Feast, at the Sabai Restaurant, which serves authentic Thai food. It was kinda pricey at first glance, but that was one of the steps I never regret taking.

The place was royally decorated, very much like the name card on the left. Red wall, red ceiling, and a lot of intricate ornaments. Situated strategically at Ngee Ann City #04-23, Takashimaya, they definitely catch one’s eyes. The ornaments are embedded in almost everything we saw, even the food.

So first things first, the service there, was the ultimate awesomeness. Never empty glass of water, good recommendations of food, fantastic politeness and how the manager was trying to ensure that we know what we’re ordering and checking whether the dish will suit our taste buds. Awesome ambiance, romantic, quiet, clean. The only downside to this whole place was only the bill waiting for you at the end of it all. But for what we were about to devour, it was definitely worth it.

Well another down side was this, the manager kept walking around us, such that, I felt super weird taking pictures of the food, despite its OMG presentations. I only managed to take 2 photos out of 5 of the dishes we ordered, DANG.. but THAT gives ME another reason to go back.. haha.. to be faithful to our readers who are waiting for the nicest dishes in town.. =D

Let’s get on to the juicy stuff.

Menu: Pat Thai Gung
The famous tasty Thai Fried Noodles. Stir-fried with prawns, chicken, yellow beancurd, eggs, ground peanuts, sweet tamarind sauce and beansprouts.

Price: S$18.00
Verdict: 3/5
Review: I’ve eaten too much Pat Thai, it seems that all of them taste about the same, this one wins on the presentation, but other than that, not much difference.

 

 

 

Menu: See-Krong Moo Op Nahmpeung
Deep fried smoked honey pork ribs

Price: S$19.00 (for about 8-10 pieces of ribs)
Verdict: 4.5/5 (ultimate!)
Review: This dish, which I couldn’t take pictures of since it looked too good to wait for a snap, was seriously the ultimate honey pork ribs ever, it was soft and tender, succulent, with a distinct taste from the fact that it was smoked. An excellent combination of spices, which I don’t know, were evidently so working for that dish. I LOVED it.

Menu: Gang Mussaman Neua, Gai
“Ancient recipe” red peanut curry with potatoes and a choice of beef or chicken

Price: S$ 18.50
Verdict: 3.5/5
Review: It was better than the Pat Thai, and this curry actually smells nice, but to me, it doesn’t come across as something which is out of the ordinary, it taste a little bit like Indonesian dishes, but if my mom loves it, since she hates curries, it must be something right?

Menu: Saengwa Gung Pao
Kaffir lime juice dressing with grilled prawns, lemograss, chillies and mint leaves, served with deep fried crispy fish and raw vegetables. This dish was originally “Royal Food”, the relish it always served in a carved vegetable; pumpkin or green melon and together with carved raw vegetables; carrots, cucumber, and apple eggplant.

Price: S$18.00
Verdict: 4/5 (VERY good)
Review: The relish was definitely something different, if you love Indonesian rujak, it’ll definitely be a winner. I loved it. And how all the things were carved, the eggplants, the carrots, sooo beautiful, the cucumbers and all were also carved, and check ot the bowl from the pumpkin, so beautiful right?? It’s a bit sour, a bit sweet, a bit spicy, in Indonesian we call it “Nano, nano, manis, asem, asin, Ramai rasanya” loosely translated it means “Nano, Nano ( a name of this candy thing in Indo), sweet, sour, salty, all the different tastes combined into one..”

Menu: Mee Grop
One of Sabai’s ancient recipes – sweet and sour crispy noodles with prawns, chicken, beancurd, pickled garlic and yellow bean past

Price: S$17.50
Verdict: 4.5/5
Review: Seriously they were awesome, super super awesome, it was crispy and just nice, splendid with rice, but fantastic if eaten alone. I can’t really describe it with words, it was just awesome. You have to try it to know what I mean.

So what are you waiting for?? Go get your asses down at the Thai Palace!!

XOXO,
~Ly

Pizzeria

Squisito! La cena era deliziosa!

Get lost in the flavours of Italia at Modesto’s. This restaurant has not only won several awards for it’s amazing wine and dine experience, but it has also won my heart! Located at the Orchard Parade Hotel in Tanglin, the place attracts all kinds of crowds.

They are well-known for their traditional wood-fired pizza (Italia Stile! Mua mua!) and that’s exactly what I had for dinner.

Menu: Pizza Ai Wustrel
Tomato, cheese and chicken sausages

Venue: Modesto’s
Price: S$17.00 (Regular)
Verdict: Very Good (4/5)
Service: Good

Who are they kidding when they actually say Italians make the best pizzas! Unless you’re a fan of the deep dish American pizzas you get at Domino’s or Pizza Hut, you will enjoy every bit of the thin crust pizza you see in the picture.

Pardon me for the missing slice. We were a little bit too hungry.

The toppings weren’t overcooked neither were they too much or too little in proportion. They were just enough. The amount of cheese was just right and the chilli flakes that accompanied this pizza was just amazing. All you needed was just a dash of it. It was enough to complement the succulent flavours in this pizza.

Well that was the star of our food review. But here comes the co-star of the evening.

Menu: Calamari Fritti
Succulent pieces of fresh squid coated in a special Modesto’s batter, deep-fried to perfection and served with tartar sauce

Venue: Modesto’s
Price: S$15.50
Verdict: Very Good (4/5)

My mother (mamma mia) always used to tell me squid is the trickiest dish of all seafood. Too over cooked, it loses it’s tenderness. Too under cooked, it’s just raw and disgusting!

But these calamari rings my friends, were cooked to perfection! A light squeeze of the lemon and there was this tingling taste of citrus in the rings. This added more zest to the overall taste of this appetizer. Wow!

My overall experience at Modesto’s; a perfect place for all occassions. Be it a special date (thanks to the dimly lit and romantic ambience) with great food and drinks or a football match with some beer (there’s an outdoor bar with a huge plasma tv playing ESPN) or just a chill-out session with friends (the outdoor dining area).

However, the service could have been better if the waiters and waitresses smiled a bit more LOL!
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this place for all pizza and pasta lovers.

Cheerios,
tina

P. S. – For more info: http://www.modestos.com.sg

Fusion of East and West..

First stop we go to Indonesia.. or an Indonesian Restaurant.. I think I’ve brought most of my friends to this place.. AYAM PENYET RIA.. to eat.. well.. what else?

Menu: Ayam Penyet
Venue: Ayam Penyet Ria
Price: S$6.50
Verdict: Good (3/5)
Service: Slow

Review: Well, I have mix reactions.. it’s nice.. but sometimes, they run out of stuff and just conveniently exclude it without telling us.. And sometimes the service sucks.. they forgot our requests.. But other than that.. I love the food.. well it’s the next best time other than my mom’s cooking.. and the chili is spicy.. very.. and I love it.. sometimes I need those kind of shocking hotness to bring us back to life.. But still, they are too pricey to my liking.. In Indo, those kind of food AND drinks are much cheaper.. but oh well.. better than nothing..

Next stop: the West ie. Starbucks
Service: Need improvement
Review: Nobody will ever complain about Starbuck’s cosy place.. Maybe except for the too-small round tables, or the fact that nobody cleans the tables, or how the utensils are stained which gives the feeling that they were not washed properly.. Overall, it was.. so so.. Better with great company, but I’d steer clear if I’m alone..

Today we had a feast.. 4 cakes.. let’s not talk about drinks today yea? just the sinful lovely cakes..

Menu: -Warm Chocolate Cake-
The cake that started it all..
Price: S$6.00
Verdict: Awesome goodness (4.5/5)

Review: I suppose the awesome goodness will give you the satisfaction of having to clean your own fork.. The chocolate oozes out when you take a bite and this is strictly for chocolate lovers.. Oh when you order one, ask that they warm it extra warm, so that the chocolate will melt in your mouth.. ^^

 

 

 

Menu: Oreo Cheesecake
Price: S$6.00
Verdict: 2/5

Review: I’m never really a fan of cheesecakes, I find them too..sticky? erm… I don’t know how to explain it.. But Cheesecake lovers might actually love it.. Though I feel for such a small slice, the thing is over-priced.. But then again, what’s new?

 

 

 

 

Menu: Verona Tiramisu (with a touch of Rum)
Price: S$ 6.00
Verdict: 3/5

Review: Lovely, though a bit too creamy to my liking.. but hey, this is just one person’s opinion.. but the touch a Rum was a stroke of genius.. it was just nice.. not too much but we can still taste that it is Rum.. it’s ok for sharing.. but too much might not be so enjoyable..

 

 

 

Menu: Passion fruit and white chocolate cake
Price S$6.00
Verdict: 1/5

Review: The name may sound nice.. but I think it’s a weird combination, and it may take some time to get used to.. I personally didn’t like it.. especially with the sour taste from the passion fruit seeds.. but if sour is your cup of tea.. you should try it.. Remember, I didn’t recommend it to you..

 

 

That’s all for today’s spoils..

XOXO,

~Ly