date of visit- 20/09/09

thanks to hgw, i've uncovered another cheap eat hideout.



housed in a coffeeshop in a relatively new estate, delight 'n' delicious brings affordably-priced western goodies closer to home, and easier on the pockets too!


soup of the day (mushroom)- SGD2.80

soup was well made. it wasn't the best of course, but was fantastic for its humble price.


creamy mix- SGD7.90

the highlight of the evening, this cream-based pasta was of the right taste. highly recommended!


seafood combo- SGD8.90

very generous serving of sides. this dish was recommended by the manager and was supposedly the stall's signature dish. average.


paprika chicken- SGD6.50

this was not bad. grilled chicken wasn't too oily and the cheese further enhanced the overall taste. coleslaw was bad though. still, recommended. maybe order without the slaw and add fries instead.


seafood blanco- SGD8.90

this was normal. i felt it was very similar to seafood combo.

date of visit- 18/09/09

hgw has attained such a cult status in me that it is now officially my eat-out bible, and wise it is, for it has found me this gem in this mature and forgotten estate of commonwealth.



it was a full house when we arrived for dinner. thanks to their quick hand quick leg service, we found a table in less than five minutes.


butter ribs- SGD8

this is the star of the night. boneless and cheesy, it retired my love for sweet and sour pork. alright, maybe for this stall only. and for only $8, we get six huge chunks of boneless meat and lots of cheese! and those cheese melt in the warmth of your mouth, it was a really wonderful treat.


fried prawns served w/ mayonnaise- SGD15

this was also good. fried prawns were not oily and mayo was of the right sweetness.


hong kong kai lan- SGD8

this was the only dish that we didn't like. vegetables carried a hint of bitterness and it was bland. perhaps the elder people will appreciate this dish more.


golden mushroom beancurd- SGD8

another generous serving of food for $8. the gravy was excellent, it wasn't too salty when paired with rice and the beancurd was of the right texture, neither too soft nor tough. overall this was also good.




value:
ultra great value. generous portions, low price. excellent taste too may i add.

service:
a kopitiam at heart, nothing fanciful or out of the way for its diners. well, i can take a little rudeness for no service charge and gst.

conclusion:
im impressed with the prompt serving of food, the competitive price and great taste. i'll be back for other dishes.

date of visit- 12/09/09

i was in a foul mood and needed food to appease me. fast. i knew ice3 could be the solution.



pardon the bad photo. this place actually look much better than this. my fourth visit here and it's never failed making me happy.


cookie monster- SGD10.90

four times here, and three times i ordered this. yes im a boring man. but that also goes to show how good a mudpie this is.


waffle single scoop w syrup- SGD7.90

this was good also actually. their homemade ice cream was made to impress.




value:
i think their prices are reasonable for the quality of the food. in fact they have a wide range of delectable desserts, including something they called magic potion, which includes pairing ice cream with alcohol of your choice. alcohol served in test tubes further enhance the interesting factor.

service:
on this visit i was impressed with a very friendly staff, who welcomed us in and assured us that we'll not be chased away even though it was less than 30 minutes into the closing time. appreciate that.

conclusion:
i shall be back for my favourite mudpie. you should try it too!

date of visit- 12/09/09

it was my best friend's 23rd. the brief: excellent sashimi. hgw-ed and decided on this place after reading the many positive reviews, also read about the legendary long wait, the need to make reservation for seats and to pre-order or risk being disappointed.

wah, this is one of the few places that i've had good feelings about even before i've been there, im convinced that the quality and freshness of the food will be good, thus the hassle.



that's it. a strict 22-seater and it's full house. we occupied the last table in the house. ambience wise, i think this place is old, much like the ulu building it's being housed in. i also didn't like the choice of japanese music, as it made me feel like i was suffering in the hands of the jap in world war 2. lol.



there are comics to read while you're waiting for your food to be served! long wait it's gonna be, so i tried digging for doraemon or lao fu zi and found there were only japanese comics, in japanese language. can't read la dey.


roasted barley tea- complimentary

it didn't taste like barley, but a little like coffee and it's nice!


gyoza- SGD6

this is good but it made me realize that i didn't like the real gyoza. haha. i think the convenience food kind suits me better with stronger taste.


tamagoyaki- SGD4.50

again, i would have preferred it to be stronger, maybe a little sweeter. but this is also good, very good in fact.


sashimi moriawase- SGD43

we came with a huge expectation and found this to be normal. adequate freshness but normal taste. this item has to be pre-ordered, and prices in the menu were for one portion only. minimum two portions and so the final bill of $43. the menu should clearly state this.


chako set- SGD19

our first main came 90 minutes after we got seated but it's definately worth the wait! loved everything in this set. the fish was perfect, and i've never seen such a huge calamari in my life. very fresh, and their miso soups have got clams in them. im truly impressed. this is really good.


oden- SGD19

this is the japanese yong tau foo, as recommended by the very smiley waitress. again it was good, but a little overpriced for such normal ingredients.


unatamaju- SGD22

i don't want to appear like a three year old kid gushing over every food item like they are the best candy in the world. but this is really excellent! the unagi was so flavourful i nearly choke on my own saliva. the egg on which the fish was resting on was sweet and i really don't know how the chefs could have mastered that. it was firm and not wet or rubbery as i would have expected. i truly enjoyed every bit of this.


value:
the food is the main draw here, so im willing to pay though the place could do with some refurbishment.

service:
this place is obviously understaffed. i read that this is a family-owned establishment and there are only four in the family to help prepare, serve, and clear the dishes. other than the ultra smiley waitress that made me feel at home, the long wait and the inefficient clearing of tables and topping up of drinks can be improved.

conclusion:
i'll be coming back for other mains next time. but for those who are keen to try this eatery out, don't go on an empty stomach! it's also prudent to call to make reservations, and pre-order to avoid disappointment.

Date of visit- 06/02/08

Having been to Ikea Cafe at Alexandra, I was almost hesitant when my friend suggested dinner at Ikea Tampines. Being starved however, I agreed when the thought of the delicious meatballs and wings got better of me. "This place is huge!" was my immediate reaction when we finally arrived at the cafe's premises. Armed with a digicam, I went snap-happy. lol



This place has a very clean feel, and as a previous reviewer suggested- "Scandinavian". I couldn't agree more. Being massive, I guess it helps. No more waiting by the table like hungry predators, there's room for everyone!



I was amused to find this little hut in the middle of the cafe. It was a brilliant idea- the parents get to eat while keeping watch over their restless kids in the playpan. Talk about family friendly eateries!



Ordering at the Ikea cafe is a simple affair. Join the queue, get a trolley (if you're ordering lots), take what you want for cold food/ask the staffs to prepare for you the hot food, and pay up at the cashier, which is also the end of the queue. Cashier accepts multiple modes of payment via cash, nets and cards.

The picture on the right shows a Halal queue. Ikea did not forget our Malay friends!



Here's how the trolley looks like. Capable of carrying three trays altogether, wheel your food around as you look for a seat effortlessly. How innovative is that!


2 pc chicken wings- SGD2.80

Looking at this makes me feel that my reunion dinner a few hours ago was inadequate. Aww, I'm hungry again! Ikea does manage a mean pair of wings, which was very well received by my mouth. And my friends' too! mwaha. This was really tasty la, try it yourself!


cold water prawns- SGD4.20

Love how they present this dish! Just makes you want to rescue the little prawns from the cold fridge. Impulse or not, this tasted fresh. Only for prawn lovers.


gravad lax plate- SGD5.80

Not really sure what this is, though my friend insist it's salmon. Had a bite and found it was fresh too, albeit a little tasteless. Not a fan of raw stuffs so can't comment on this further.


swedish meatballs 15pc- SGD8

Ta-da, the star of the dishes! These brown balls are really good, and really making me hungry now. You just have to try them yourself cos I'm not good with describing taste. Try first, thank me later. :D


sambal fish with rice- SGD5.50

Both me and my friend wanted to order the chicken leg initially but we changed our minds instantaneously when we saw (and smelt) a couple leaving the cashier with their order of sambal fish. It didn't matter to my friend that he doesn't take spicy stuffs, the aroma was reason enough for him to order this, and I second that. Although this wasn't a permanent fixture on the menu, it was excellent for all our senses. Sambal was of moderate spiciness and rice was managed well. It was a joy to be eating this, serious. Or perhaps we were all starved. Ha.



Conclusion:
Ikea is never known for their food but they have managed it so well their supposed canteen has integrated into their business. I'll gladly return to this cafe anytime for another meal again. Parking is foc too! (:

vanilla milkshake- SGD2.15

I've always loved milkshakes since I was a toddler. MOS Burger's version of it never fails to lift my spirit up. Though not the best, it was cheap and decent. Convenient too, with so many outlets littered around town. I'll be doing a review on their burgers soon too. Oh, so delicious!

Date of visit- 04/02/08

Balcony has always been one of my favourite chillout spot for having to tick the right boxes- the correct dimness & ambience, the correct crowd and the correct place.



People who frequent Heeren would find the swings a familiar sight. Unfortunately, my ego has always found them too feminine and refused me permission to sit on them to this date. Also, they are more suitable for couples as I'm sure nobody would want to sit on the chairs if given a choice between chairs and swings. Quite an easy decision, isn't it? whee!

And oh, I can't take any pictures on the second floor of this bar. What a stupid rule, right? :( Guess the only way to see the jacuzzi is to be here yourself. Yes, you read right. A jacuzzi in a bar! Somebody second that!


watermelon & strawberry margarita, snowball- both SGD14

I ordered the server's recommendation of the red juice when I asked for something sweet. It was... one hell of a drink you shall avoid when you come to this cool place one day. Snowball, on the other hand, made my tongue a happier err.. tongue! It was of the just right sweetness. Hmmm..



Conclusion:
Balcony serves proper food too! However, it just doesn't seem right to be eating here so come to Balcony when you're done with that movie but not quite with the evening. This is the best place to bitch in town, period.

Date of visit- 29/01/08

Ice cream is good business for a climate like ours, so it's not surprising to see many new players vying for a piece of the cake, pun intended. Venezia has however managed to differentiate itself from the competition by making their ice cream as good to look at as they taste, tempting the unsuspecting shopper to try, and be hooked. For the record, I am so hooked. :D



Venezia's ambience for its Parkway outlet has nothing to shout for, just a space with some tables and chairs. The management ought to introduce sofa seats for their weary customers, shopping can be exhausting you know.


double scoop of blueberry cheesecake and cookies & cream with waffles and a glass of rootbeer- SGD7.50

Wonderful promotion of a single scoop with waffles and soft drink going for $6. Add $1.50 for another scoop. Perfect pricing, if not for their disappointing waffles. Wait, were they waffles in the first place, cos they tasted like a disastrous combi of pancakes and biscuits! Ice cream was too good, I still can't believe they are low in fat! Waffles, arrrgh. Bitter, hard, and absolutely wrong when eaten with their ice creams. In short, Venezia should just stick to making ice cream.



Conclusion:
Venezia Gelateria has found a loyal following in me. Enough said.

Date of visit- 29/01/08

This stall used to an all-time favourite for me and my friends back in our secondary school days. We would "report" to the smiley auntie for her delicious chicken chop and cutlets after classes, rain or shine. Those days we don't have to be conscious with our waistline, there was the hour-long PE classes twice a week. Arrr, the good old days...



Hawker centre style, hawker centre pricing. Sometimes it's nice to be eating at such places too, no dress codes and no need for acting.


chicken cutlet- SGD5

It was still as good as ever! Meat was expertly fried to a succulent brown, oh it was good with every bite. Fries would please the health-conscious, minimum salt but coleslaw was weird with mayo dressing.

Conclusion:
Nice food with a budget your wallet would thank you for, it's good to know that we don't have to pay hefty prices for good food.

Date of visit- 26/01/08

Purposely sought this place out with the help of HGW for my 22nd birthday. Brief: good waffles, solid ice cream, still open at midnight. Thought I've found some hideout but was seriously disappointed.



Love its interior! Though small, it was very original and creative, and I think its owners have a thing for cows- everything has something to do with them! The store's name, corny cow posters lining up the walls, and even their water dispenser was dressed with a cow costume! Mooo!



Udders serve alcoholic ice cream too! I tried rum & raisin, and decided that "mainstream" ice cream is more suitable for my tastebuds. Anyway, they store and display their normal and alcoholic goodies in different fridges hence the two photos above.


double scoop of cookies & cream and chocolate marshmallow with waffle- SGD6.90

At Udders, classic (normal) ice cream goes for $3.20 for single scoop, and $3.90 for premium (alcoholic). Waffles cost an additional $2. My dessert tasted slightly above average and could definately be better, and that was after much sampling and deliberation at the counter.



Conclusion:
Nice setup, smiling staffs, but they need to work on their product. Most of their ice cream felt too strong and really, really dry for our liking. Kudos to them for introducing unique flavours like kopi-c and pear sorbet though.