The benchmark for any Thai food is the Prad Thai. I had a late lunch today. Which means I did not eat anything till 4pm on Nov 9 2009. Which also means.....I am famished.

I tried the Prad Thai Glass Noodles Seafood (S$9.70) and ordered a Thai Pina Colada (Original cost $4.90, offering at 50% discount).

Despite my famished state, the Prad Thai Glass Noodles actually disappoints. The best part about the dish is that it comes with 3 pieces of very fresh prawns. That's the only saving grace.

As for the Thai Pina Colada....it is coconut ice-cream in soda, topped with a few miserable pieces of pineapple. Even at 50% discount, it is not worthwhile.

The service is appalling. There re were 3 service personnel. No other customers at this time. No a single personnel is attentive. When I asked for warm water, I needed to ask a 2nd time.

The pictures in the menu looks a lot more enticing that the actual food. Minus the marketing and packaging, I am sure you can get good pad thai else where. In fact, the best pad thai I have tasted is a dingy restaurant in Amsterdam.

After all the reviews I read, I decided to try the set lunch last Thursday. I liked it so much that, a few days later, on Sunday, I returned again with my girlfriend!

This is great vegetarian food with:
1. Creativity. In naming the dishes. And you don't feel like eating variations of flour!
2. Non-Greasy
3. Great Zen-like ambience
4. Just the right portions
5. Good value (for set lunch and 1 for 1 promotion with DBS card)
6. Clever use of herbs to replace garlic and onions.

When it comes to good quality vegetarian food, I always thought Lingzhi's the classiest and most creative. The Chefs at Naive has lots of potential.

It feels good after a vegetarian meal. It has a calming effect!
The dish I love most is Oliver Twist. It is fragrant and tasty, with a nice hint of kaffir leaves.

Unfortunately Singapore's vegetarian scene pales in comparison to Hong Kong's!!

I decided to give this restuarant a try because of word-of-mouth positive comments from acquaintances. Brought my father, uncle and mother-in-law for our first visit. Here's the verdit.

Parking
Ample.

Location
Good for those who reside in the east.

Quality of Food
1. Red wine chicken - Average
2. Fried Liver - Average. Smell of liver is very strong
3. Black Pepper Beef - Excellent. Well executed with onion. Tender.
4. Cold Crab - Good. But we are not big fans of cold crabs.
5. Soon Hock - Excellent. Steamed HK-style. But $46.00 for 4 Pax ?
6. Fuzhou Fish Ball - Yucks. Fish Ball is too salty.
Wanted to order their signature steam fish tail but was informed out of stock.

Would I come here again for Hock Chew food ?
Would prefer Singapura (at Selegie) to Lee Do.

On the whole, I would advise against eating South-East Asia food in HK. It just doesn't taste the same. But if you are really desperate, try hitting Sheung Wan. We chanced upon Malay Mama because Katong was closed on July 1st at 5pm.

Laksa - definitly better than Katong's, but still not lemak enough
Bak Kut Teh - supposed to the Klang's style with thick soup. Average.
Prawn Noodle - definitely better than Landale's "famous" prawn noodle.
Hakka Yong Tau Foo - Very authentic
Curry Chicken - Don't understand why it is in dark sauce. Can be better
Cuttlefish Kang Kang - The BEST !!
Barley water - very authentic
Kaya toast - Nice touch!

AMBIENCE: At lunchtime, this is NOT a business lunch place. You come with your colleagues to chomp down authentic Latin American food. At dinner, when the weather is cooler, this outlet actually feels very Latin, with landscapes of Mexico, Argentina and Peru painted on their walls. Just the perfect setting for tapas, drink & be merry.

FOOD: The Latino Roast Chicken Set at lunch time is great value for money. I love their spicy chicken quesadillas. It is easy to eat & very tasty. The restaurant has a wide variety of interesting condiments that is guarantee to spice up your food. You can go for the traditional jalapeño, spicy mayonnaise & yes, you even get "Hainanese" chilli sauce. All complimentary to go with your tender and juicy roast chicken.

SERVICE: You know, Latinos are always friendly...from my conversations with the service personnel, the owners are Mexico/Peru/Argentina. These migrants truly help make Singapore a melting pot.

If Waraku can be so successful outside Japan, then Kiko Rico will the the success outside of the South America continent.

A group of us - 6 adults & a kids - came here after Good Friday's service. Here'w what we ordered (5 dishes & white rice):

1. Steamed Sotong with Special Sauce (S$12) - Steamed to perfection!
2. Steamed minced pork with salted fish (S$10) - Tasty but too salty!
3. Fried Sambal Kang Kong (S$12) - a little soggy.
4. Steamed Grouper with Pork Lard (S$34) - Yummy...if u love fresh fish and crunchy park lard!
5. Braised Tofu with prawns (S$26)- Silkiest tofu ever.
6. White Rice (S$4.00)
7. Tea (S$7.00)
GST - $7.35

The entire meal cost S$112.35. It is very yummy, very hearty and very reasonable! Dishes are a tad salty, so eat it with lots of rice. The fried egg with shark's fin is overrated, and the lotus root soup is quite bland. So stick to their yummy dishes.

Eversince Joo Heng's airconditioned, eating here is very platable!!
I actually like Joo Heng more than Canton Wok !! Visit Joo Heng with your family & your heartland friends.

I was here on a Saturday without reservations. A Chinese tour group has monopolised the restaurant. It was loud & noisy.

Thankfully, the dim sum more than made up for the lack of ambience. The steam cake was exquisite and the dim sum is very refined for a family restaurant.

I would visit this place again when in the TST area.

I love their lunch sets. It is great value for under $10. Practically my canteen in the Marina Square area. So I signed up for the Waraku Club Membership. You practically sign-up for free because they return you Waraku vouchers. The service in this outlet is signficantly better than the East Coast's. So is the quality of food.

Waraku has expanded too quickly and I believe their service suffered as a result. Nevertheless, they offer great value for the price you pay. I love their nabe too. It is a notch lower than Sushi Tei (pricing & ambience) but good enough daily grub.

There is a great difference between the father cooking the mee pok and the son. When the father cooks, it is worth the wait! It is tasty with little bits of sinful pork lard entangled around the al-dente spicy/tasty mee pok. Whenever I have my first bite, it made me HAPPY!

Then there was this day, the son cooked. It made me defect to the other mee pok stall at Jalan Tua Kong (opposite Blooie's). I now wise-up. If the father cooks, I will wait for my heavenly treat. If the son cooks, I will go for my instant but earthly treat at junction of Jalan Tua Kong/Fidelio street. I'd be MAD to be waiting so long fo a bowl of mediocre noodles.

I know practice makes perfect....but I ain't gonna be that guinea pig.

It was a rainy Sunday on Mar 15 2009. I came here after the maddening lunch crowd for late lunch/early tea. Somehow I never tried their cakes here because it didn't look to appetising. So I tried their famous Nonya Mee Siam ($3.90) and their mini-chicken pie ($1.10).

What can I say? When you have a cap on calories & carbo, you go for the BEST. It's one of the best Mee Siam I ever had and the mini chicken pie has two large chunky slice of chicken in it.

This cafe is a great chill-out place....I love it and I will come here again...for afternoon tea and to read my novel/newspapers. The rainy weather + warm food + leisurely Sunday...a heavenly combination.