Didn't want to do a review on this place at first as I have no pics to go with my write up. However, having read the previous review, I thought I do some justice to this restaurant.

We were here last Friday and we ordered a butter squid ($8), a black pepper pork chop ($9), french beans with dried shrimps ($8), a pad thai ($4.50) and olive rice as there as a promotion for it.

I like the butter squid the most. The butter flavor was strong and somehow tasted very similar to salted egg prawns. The sotong was chunky and chewy. Bf found it a little too wet but was still good on the whole for him.

The other item which we like as well was the black pepper pork chop. The meat was tender and the black pepper taste was strong.

The french beans were alright. What impressed us was the fact that a generous amount of dried shrimps were used. It is very rare that restaurants are that generous.

Bf and I didn't like the pad thai. Honestly, it did not taste like pad thai. It tasted more like mee goreng. I will give this a miss the next time I am there.

As for the oilve rice, bf felt that it tasted better than the one at soup restaurant. I would have to second that opinion. The olive taste here is stronger. However, I don't think I will order it if not for the promotion. Normally it cost $6 per plate and I feel that the pricing is a little too steep. Not value for money.

On the whole, I like this place. However, not everything should be tried. There are hits and misses.

Side note: Personally, I have tried a few of the sponsored restaurants and was disappointed most of the time. Thai pan is in fact the first sponsored restaurant which did not disappoint us. However, having said that, one should still exercise some discretion to determine which reviews should and should not be believed. Everyone's taste bud is different and hence what works for one may not work for the other. And that's what buddies are for. Choose buddies whom you feel have similar taste buds as you.

I like this little ramen shop which is located at robertson quay. The last time we were here was probably about 1 .5 year ago.

This place has changed from our last visit. Firstly, they have expanded. The shop is bigger. Secondly, the menu is also slightly different. However, the one thing which remains unchanged is that it is still patronized by Japanese.

We ordered a ramen ($12) and a black pork curry don ($17.50).

This is the first time I am actually trying black pork. To me, I think the biggest difference between this and the normal pork is that the former is harder and chewier. Over here, the pork was not over fried. There was not much moisture in the meat. Not sure if its because of the quality of the meat.

I thought the curry was decent. It was not too spicy and was rich in flavor. There was quite an ample amount of carrots and onions. I would say that its better than the ones at Tonkichi but probably slightly below the one at curry favor (stamford house). I like the one at curry favor (stamford house) more as it is thicker and spicier. (But this is still good!) Although I am not sure if they cooked the curry from scratch or used instant curry, it is definitely good enough for me.

For $17.50, its not exactly expensive. You are paying lesser for better quality meat here relative to say Tonkichi. Over at Tonkichi, you only get the normal grade pork.

I am not a ramen person. However, I have tried the ones sold at Baikohken (Raffles Place) and also Marutama Ra-men (Central). Although I think the one at Baikohken is very decent, this one is even better. Firstly, the soup was thicker, creamier and more flavorful. The stock was rich in taste and this was a little milky taste to it. Secondly, the egg was well "marinated". From the pic you could tell that the egg white had been slightly "stained" by the marination sauce. This is unlike the one at Baikohken where the egg white is still largely white in color. The egg yolk was soft and moist. Thirdly, the pork was thicker, harder and chewier. The only regret is that was only two pieces of meat. Lastly, you pay the same price as the other two but for better quality. Although I prefer this, Baikohken is a good alternative as its more accessible.

On the whole, I would say that this is a place which you should not miss if you like ramen and stuff that are value for money.

Touched down on Friday and decide to give this place a shot since it was on the way.

The coffee shop was rather empty when we arrived as it was almost 9pm then.

We ordered a pork chop and a chicken shop. Although the place was rather empty, it still took approximately 15 minutes before our food were served.

When my chicken chop came, I was immediately impressed by the serving. The portion was rather huge. However, I was a bit skeptical and reluctant to conclude that it was value for money as I did not checked the price before hand. Later on, when I found out that it cost $5.50, I thought it was quite a bargain. Its rare that you get a huge serving for that price. Despite the fact that it is relatively value for money, I must say that the taste did not meet up to expectation. (Expectations were high due to ravings from previous reviews.) Firstly, the chicken was drenched in a very very oily sauce. Secondly, the sauce was quite tasteless. Thirdly, there was a lot of chicken fats. Super unhealthy! IMHO, I think the western food stall near my area is even better than this.

Bf had pork chop which cost $6.50. It was quite decent. The meat was quite well marinated and side was a bit burnt. Nice charcoal taste. However, once again, the sauce was extremely oily.

Four sides were given. They include french fries, coleslaw, french beans and bread with butter spread. They were ordinary. Just like what you will get from any other western food outlets. My only complain is that the bread was not toasted. Gives the impression that there is lack in effort in preparation. (Just my opinion)

Given that I stay in the west, I probably will not travel all the way there again just for this. And honestly, I think there are a lot of better ones out there. Unless you live around here, its probably not worth the effort to travel down.

The shop was not crowded when we arrived. Prior reservation is probably not necessary.

We ordered a Chicken Buah Keluak ($12.90), a Nonya FishOtah ($9.90), a Nonya ChapChye ($5.50), a glass of Lemongrass Lime ($2.80) and a Pulut Hitam ($3.50) for dessert.

All the items were served together. My guess is that the food were cooked in large portion and they just have to heat it up when customers orders.

The Nonya FishOtah was interesting. (Cant find a better word to describe it). Its unlike conventional otah where the meat is all minced up. You find a full piece of dory fish used. Spices were laid onto the fish to give the "otah finish". Personally, I felt that the meat was a little too dry and the spices was not spicy enough.

The chicken buah keluak was another interesting item. For $12.90, you will be given approximately 3 pieces of chicken and 2 buah keluak. The chicken was soft and easy to chew on. We were given ice cream sticks to dig out the stuff from the buah keluak. I was expecting myself to dig out some meat. To my surprise, only creamy stuff came out. I do not know what is buah keluak but I certainly do not like the taste of it.

The nonya chap chye was normal. Nothing extraordinary. But the vegetables certainly tasted sweet.

We ordered a lemongrass drink as dear loves the drink. He never fails to order it whenever we see it on the menu. The drink was not overpowering with the lemongrass smell, unlike those which I have tasted elsewhere. It was light and refreshing.

We were contemplating if we should order dessert and decide to do so in the end. We guessed that we better try now as we will probably not be back again. Without deny, the quality is definitely better than those that we get from hawker center. The grain used is finer. Other than that, there is really not much difference from those sold in hawker center. I think I do just fine with those that cost only a $1.

In sum, portions are on the whole small and I do not disagree that things here are definitely of a certain quality. However, the price is a tad too steep. Without deny, there is a price to pay for quality. But its just too overpriced in my opinion.

We ordered a claypot rice with chicken, chinese sausage and salted fish ($7.80), hotplate beancurd ($6) and also a coffee pork ribs ($10). Pricing is quite alright. Slightly more expensive than normal Kopitiam Zi Char.

The highlight was suppose to be the claypot rice. However I was slightly disappointed as I have tasted better ones else where. The rice was rather hard and dry. A bit hard for disgestion. I prefer my rice a bit moist and not so hard. Hence, I prefer the one sold at ABC hawker center (Around alexandra area). The ingredients were alright. Chicken was boneless with alot of fats and skin. I think the chicken skin and fats are suppose to serve as natural oil so that they do not have to add the artificial ones.

The hotplate tofu was a pleasant surprise. The gravy was sweet and the ingredients (mushroom, minced prawn and big prawns) used were all my favorite. Unlike those sold elsewhere, you will not have those peas, mini corn and carrots that are often used by other hawkers when they sell this dish.

The coffee pork ribs was abit of a mistake. The gravy was over powering and there was too much of the sauce. Coffee smell was not too strong. The meat was soft and I suspect they use alot of tenderlisa. This make it easy to eat.

On the whole, this place is not too bad if u are in need for a quick and not too expensive zi char fix.

While waiting for our friends, we decided to check out the bread bar. There was quite a selection of bread. One can take as much as he likes. There were also three kind of spreads for the dinners (sun dried butter spread, garlic herb spread and normal butter). My only complain about the bread bar is the bread are cold! :( Opposite the bread bar was the salad bar. Dear and I wanted to grab some salad as well but we weren't too sure if it is chargeable. In the end, we did not take any and went back to our table and that was when I realized that the create your own salad at the salad bar costs $19. However, the restaurant gives free salad for early diners. So do come before 6.30pm if you want the salad.

We ordered a cabonara ($23), seafood pizza($25), risotte($32) and crispy fried fish ($30) (chef's recommendation). Friends were in the mood for wine and they ordered a bottle of white ($85). (cant remember the exact name but it was pinot something).

I like the cabonara. The bacon was very crispy and the spagettie was al dente. It was not too creamy and therefore one will not feel jerlat after a few mouth. I asked for Parmesan cheese to go with my spaghetti. I was expecting a saucer with the cheese. Guessed what! They took out a whole block of cheese and started grating onto my food. Amazing! However, they deprived me from having more cheese. Haha.

The seafood pizza was alright. Thin crust with scallop, prawns and dried mussels.

Tired some of friend's risotto. This is basically Spanish rice cooked with seafood and tomato sauce. The rice was not too hard or over cooked. A decent amount of seafood was given. However, I prefer the one at Esmirada. That one is more flavorful and the amount of seafood given is much more and bigger.

Friend had the crispy fish. It was normally normal. It came along with a white sauce. I was not impressed by the sauce.

On the whole, things are on the pricier side. There are other alternatives around which cost lesser and taste better. But well, its the company that matters. Food is secondary in this case.

Bread was given to us as a starter. It was complimentary. The bread was soft and warm. Good to warm a hungry and cold stomach. The garlic butter spread was nothing fantastic.

We ordered the combo set which consists of half a slab of ribs, fried fish fillet and two sides of which we chose coleslaw and french fries. In addition, we ordered an onion loaf. Although the food might seem insufficient for two, we were dead full at the end of dinner.

First about the sides. We were really disappointed with the coleslaw. The vegetables were soaked in mayonnaise sauce and was totally tasteless. Dear commented that the coleslaw was worse than the ones that he had at kopitiam. I totally agree with him. Coleslaw is something which we both enjoy and hence it was really disappointing. We were trying to make ourselves finish the disgusting vegetables. French fries were normal. Cant go very wrong.

I think I really cant understand the attraction of ribs. There is no meat at all! Why do people actually like them? Dont understand. I like my meat with flesh and not just bones. lol. Anyway, although I seldom eat ribs, I think the ones here are relatively decent. It is well marinated and the hence the meat and BONES tasted sweet. It was tough as how ribs are suppose to be. Hence, it was quite difficult to separate the pathetic amount of meat from the bones.

The fried fish fillet was in my opinion over fried. The meat was abit tough and there was no juicy.

The onion loaf is really just onion rings. However, instead of small pathetic onion rings (like those you get from burger king), you get big, chunky and fat onions over here. We had a tough time finishing the onion loaf. It tasted good at the start as it went well with the mayonnaise provided. However, towards the end, we were really struggling. Too much onion! Jerlat!

On the whole, I would feel that tony roma is very similar to the outback restaurant. Between the two, I prefer the later. There is more variety.

We ordered mushroom with chilli sauce la mian, Xiao Long Bao, Braised Pork (Fatty Meat), fried diced chicken with chili and eggs with prawns.

The la mian was quite nice. The noodles was soft and springy. The sauce went well with the noodles. Not too spicy. The only complain is that the amount of sauce is a tad too little.

The xiao long bao was pretty decent. The soup within the xiao long bao tasted sweet, The skin was a little thin and juicy leaked out quite easily. However, in my opinion, its better than Ding Tai Feng and on par with Crystal Jade.

Dear wanted to order to order the fatty meat. He loves fatty meat. However, he is carefully when deciding if we should order this as he knows that I don't really fancy fatty stuff. Glad that we ordered this as it was one of the better dishes. The fatty meat was soft and flavorful. The marination was totally immersed into the meat! I like the lean part the most. (Or rather I should say that I only ate the lean part). Lol

I didnt really like the fried chicken. I thought it was going to be like kong bao chicken. I thought there was going to be sauce. However, dear likes this dish and thought that the chef did a good job in frying the chicken. He felt that it was not over fried and there some moisture in the meat.

The last item was really just fried eggs with prawns of pathetic size. Not worth ordering in my opinion.

On the whole, I feel that there is a lack of variety of items over at imperial treasure. Taste wise is very similar to crystal jade. The two are good substitute for each other.

There were altogether 6 items per person. I thought given the variety, the quantity per item should be quite small. However, i was wrong! The first item was some mushroom gratin thingy with bacon. I like the first dish alot as it was made with cheese. It was pipping hot when it was served. Certainly warms your stomach on a cold and rainy day. The dish goes when with the bread provided. Although the bread was warm and crispy, I had to control myself or I would not have space for the rest of the items.

Next up was salad. We chose the fruit salad and farmboy's salad. Decide to choose the fruit salad as the waiter commented that this item has won a number of awards over the years. It certainly did not disappoint. The fruits gave a very refreshing feel. The sauce used reduce the sourness of the fruits. The fake crabmeat on top of the salad neturalised the taste and you wont feel as though you are just having fruits.

Dear had the farmboy's salad. This is vegetables with roast chicken. The sauce drenched over the salad was a little sour however it was very appetizing.By the time I finished the salad, I was already like 90% full. I was trying to force the remaining items into my stomach. LOL.

After the salad, we were given soup. We chose the sharkfin winter melon soup and mushroom soup. I thought the former was rather tasteless. The mushroom soup was decent. It was creamy, not diluted. The mushroom were all minced up. Dear said that he would prefer if the mushroom was chunkier.

For the main, I chose baked flounder with cheese while dear had their signature pork ribs. The fish was alright. Nothing to complain.The pork ribs were really soft. It fell apart so easily that we didnt have to use the knife. It was flavorful and went well with the sauce provided. We feedback to the staff that we found the ribs abit soft and they offered to change our mains for us. However, they also try to explain that its soft because they stewed the meat for 8 to 9 hours.

The tea was served along with the main. We chose the rose apple tea and the grape tea. The tea was very refreshing and sweet.

For desert, we had the yang sheng pear and creme bulee. I didnt particularly like the dessert. Felt that there was nothing spectacular about it.

Towards the end of the meal, the waiter came over to ask if we are full. They offered to give us another dessert if we were not. The boss mentioned that he will feel bad if we did not fill our stomachs and had to grab something from Macdonald. (So sweet hor.) Obviously we declined their kind gesture as we were already filled to the brim.

Things here are really not that cheap. On the average, each item costs about $4.90 (i.e $5).

We ordered fu pi juan (beancurd skin prawnroll), ha gao (prawn dumpling), pi dan sou rou zhou (century egg porridge) and he ye fan (Lotus leaf rice).

The fu pi juan (beancurd skin prawnroll) was quite normal. The way its suppose to be when its offered by an atas restaurant. The prawns used were quite big and not minced up. It went well with the sauce provided and also the house's chili sauce.

The ha gao (prawn dumpling) were decent as well. Prawns were fresh and big. My only complain is that the skin is abit too thick. I would prefer if the skin was thinner. Also, I found it to be quite dry. I am not expecting it to be wet but at least have some moisture.

In my opinion, the he ye fan sold here is one of the better ones. Definitely better than crystal jade. Firstly, the dumpling does not fall apart when you remove the lotus leaf. Secondly, the portion is of a decent size. The one sold at crystal jade is quite pathetic in size. Thirdly, generous amount of ingredients is used. There was alot of salted egg yolk. I like! Lol.

I found the century egg porridge to be quite plain. Amount of century egg and lean meat used was also quite little. Definitely better ones elsewhere.

On the whole, the standard is the way how many would expect it to be from a atas resturant. Nothing fantastic.