Golden Mile Food Centre is another place that I frequent with my family when we have no idea where to eat. This happened to us recently, when we can’t compromised where to eat so I suggest here, partially I wanted to check out the new QUEEN on the block - Ice Queen Ice Cream

Beautifully done up chalkboard with colorful writings of shop informations, a cheery sight indeed.

I ordered a medium cup with 2 flavors - earl grey tea and white sesame for $3.20. I’m a lover for anything sesame and no other sesame ice cream ever WOW me till this one. I must say, the white sesame gelato is real good stuffs. The flavor is so intense and I simple love every scoop of it. The earl grey tea is nice too, jus like ice earl grey tea with ice cream in it but I still prefer the white sesame. They’ve lots of other flavors like durian, strawberry, chocolate hazelnut, rum and raisin, milo, milk tea and many more…

Ice Queen Ice Cream will definitely pay a visit to the Queen every time I'm there for meals...You guys should try it too. :)

*photos will be up soon*

It was a last minute decision to dine at Ristorante De Parma I was craving for pasta and happened to be at Serangoon Garden so I suggested to dine here to solve my pasta craving needs.

It was an early lunch for the both of us and all we wanted were just pasta and nothing else. We were given a table at the corner near the entrance; the ambiance is nice and homely. Not many people at the time, maybe about 1 or 2 tables being occupied. They had set lunch on the menu and I was considering to order the set lunch since I get to try out more stuffs, but the main was fish (not in the mood for fish) or some pasta with sausages or something (can’t really remember + I not a big fan of sausages) so I asked if I could change it to something else and I don’t mind topping up a little price for it, but the server, a Non-Chinese guy gave me a look then said NO and he went on telling me off that a set is a set, and they can’t change anything for me. Fine then…so I ended up ordering something from the ala crate menu instead of the set.

We had:

1. Complimentary Foccacia
Bread were serve warm, lightly infused with herb.

2. Linguine con Vongole - $23.90
Pasta done al dente, tad salty for me but my dining partner seems to love it, she polished the whole plate clean.

3. Linguine Al Gamberetti - $27.90 (my order)
Linguine cooked with asparagus and prawns tossed in tomato base.
I like the prawn in this pasta, big and succulent, I would say they use really fresh and good quality ingredient for their food here. The prawns were so fresh that I can pull out the tail effortlessly.

A nice place to dine and I can see from the lunch crowd that they have their regulars, we both enjoyed our lunch but it’s the service that peeves us off a little.

Tong Heng serve the best egg tarts in Singapore(IMO).

Nothing beat a warm comforting egg tart that's fresh from the oven after a good morning jog on sunday morning. I always looked forward to the soft and smooth custard and not forgetting the crispy pastry "cup". The way I normally eat it? Using a teaspoon, scooping the delicious treat and savor the melting moment of the custard.

The egg cake are "packed" with flour and I like the texture of it. Not too soft and not too tough, just right. Unlike some egg cakes that are very "sang", too light and not enough flour. For those who like it sweeter, can try the one with red bean paste. As for me, I will just go for the normal one without and I gladly pay 10cent lesser :)

Egg Tart - $1.30
Egg Cake - $1.20
Egg Cake w Red Bean Paste - $1.30

My usual orders will be 5 egg tart and 4 egg cake (2 w red bean paste and 2 plain)

Beside the usual egg tarts, egg cakes, they have other typical HK pastries like Lao Po Biscuit, Pi Dan Su, Siew Bao and many more.

Need traditional pastries for wedding or baby shower? Approach Tong Heng and everyone(you & your guests) will be delighted.

Will keep coming back for this addiction. Psst Psst, I've OD on the tarts and cakes for 2 weeks and I'm still looking forward to it.

Hmm...my title sound so boring...haha...Oh well...

It’s another birthday celebration for me, this time was lunch with the family. Wanted to try out the ala carte buffet lunch at Peony Jade Clarke Quay but they were fully booked for wedding functions.

So here I’m here at Peony Jade @ Keppel Club. Located inside the club, non-club members can park at the visitor car park, which is a short stroll away from main club lobby. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor; follow the “red carpet” to the entrance of this 2-month-old restaurant. A welcome smile from the hostess as she lead us to our table, I had a cake with me and she took the initiative to keep it for me before I can ask. Thumb up for that attentiveness!

Down to the food…

Dim sum is what we had, some were on the “push-cart dim sum dollies” and some on the menu.

Dim Sum

2 x Siew Mai - $3.00 each These tiny bites are yummy, especially the roe on top. One of the best Siew Mai I’ve tasted IMO.
Rate: 3.85 over 5

2 x Shanghai Xiao Long Bao - $3.60 each Skip this. Rate: 2.85 over 5

1 x Har Kau - $4.50 This is interesting. Not your typical crystal “white” har kau. The Peony Jade version is black. Prawns are fresh but skin abit too thick for me liking.
Rate: 3.4 over 5

1 x Char Siew Bao - $3.00 Wasn’t in the mood for CSB but my sisters love it.

1 x Steamed Spare Ribs w Black Bean Sauce - $3.50 Skip skip skip...no black bean taste, only strong garlic taste.
Rate: 2 over 5

1 x Steamed Radish Cake w Chinese Sausages - $3.00 This is decent, soft and salty.
Rate: 3.2 over 5

1 x Steamed Phoenix Feet in Szechuan Chilli Black Bean Sauce -$.3.50 Another skip for me, too oily.
Rate: 2.85 over 5

1 x Steamed Mini Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf Parcel w Chicken - $3.50 I like this, can taste the glutinous rice infused with the lotus leaf’s “essence”.
Rate: 3.85 over

1 x Deep Fried Yam Croquette w Assorted Meat - $3.00 Oil taste too strong.
Rate: 3 over 5

1 x Deep Fried Vegetable Spring Roll - $3.00 This is yum yum yum, fried to perfection with a small surprise inside. Banana, that’s the surprise. Sweet taste and aroma. Must try!
Rate: 4.5 over 5

1 x Deep Fried Bean curd Roulette w Shrimp & Japanese Seaweed - $4.00 This is something different from your normal fried bean curb roll, but I would say I prefer this. Firm at bite and not oil.
Rate: 4 over 5

1 x Deep Fried Goose Liver and Prawn Ball w Almond Flakes - $7.50 This is nicely done and presented. Crispy from the outside with slight bursting flavor from the liver. The almond flakes create an extra crunch.
Rate: 4.5 over 5

Soup

2 x Soup of the Day – Lotus Root w Pork Rib - $6.00 each This soup is too strong in flavor, tad salty for my liking.
Rate: 3.6 over 5

4 x Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup Serve in Martini Glass - $6.00 each How can we not try the hot and sour soup when we’re in a Szechuan restaurant? Prettily served in a martini glass, however this soup is such a disappointment, too much chilli oil, not sour at all.
Rate: 2.8 over 5

4 x Double- Boiled Shark’s Fin Broth w Dumpling - $6.00 each This is my 1st time trying this and I like it. Big dumpling with juicy meat and prawn in it, a bite with a spoonful of broth, heavenly yum!
Rate: 4.5 over 5

Special Item of the day

1 x Deep Fried Fish Skin w Salt and Pepper - $8.00 This is good but I wish it could be freshly fried and serve right after.
Rate: 4.3 over 5

1 x Deep Fried Golden Mushroom w Salt and Pepper - $6.00 This is what you might get from some vegetarian restaurant, similar to the white bait with salt and pepper but lighten on the palate.
Rate: 4 over 5

After all the food, the hostess brought my birthday cake out, we did the deed and she even offered to cut the cake for us, very good service indeed.

Overall a good dinning experience with very good service, prompt in refilling our tea and water as well as changing our plates. Food still needs abit of tuning but quality of freshness is definitely there.

Will I be back? Probably in a few months time…

It’s the time of the year for me to get a year older, so to mark this day, the girls organized a dinner at this place.

Barracks Café has an extensive menu, everyone will definitely be able to find something to eat. You can choose to dine outdoor among the “forest” or indoor with the comfort of air-conditioner and vintage chairs. I personally prefer the outdoor greeneries but Sat night was just too warm to sit outdoor.

Down to the food, that’s what we’re here for right? We had

1. Truffle Fries - $9.00
2. Parsley Mash Potato - $6.00
3. American Slider w Lettuce, Tomato and Onion- $22.00
4. Jamica Pork Tenderloin - $24.00
5. Bay Prawn Capellini - $26.00
6. Crispy Pork Belly - $30.00

Truffle Fries - Who can resist fries sprinkle with sea salt and truffle oil? I simply love this, crispy and flavorful, if I wasn’t having a bad throat, I would order another serving just for myself.

Parsley Mash Potato - Potatoes mashed up and infused with herbs. A light and buttery smooth mash with a really light herb taste. The girls love it but I personally find it slightly too bland for me.

American Slider w Lettuce, Tomato and Onion - This mini burgers are powerful; so don’t look down on mini stuffs yeah? With side servings of sweet potato fritters and truffle fries. Who can resist this old fashion? Managed to steal a bite from my friend, the meat is nicely done medium and juicy. oohhh...yum.

One can choose the toppings for the mini burgers at a small additional cost of $2.
Available toppings are: Lettuce, tomato and onion, Plain with truffle aioli, Sauteed mushroom and onions, Cheddar cheese and bacon, Bleu cheese and bacon.
Upsize of fries at $2 too.

Jamica Pork Tenderloin The tenderloin flavored with Jamaican spices (don’t ask me what caused I don’t know) with fruity peach and cranberry chutney with side of roast garlic potatoes and vegetable. A good blend of spices and fruity chutney, bring out the sweetness of the tenderloin, however, there’s a strong pork taste that the spices can’t mask.

Bay Prawn Capellini - Capellini with big succulent prawn tossed in herb and baby leek. Pasta done al dente, with a light spicy after taste. Topped with a cheese shaving. I would say this is a really nice and hearty dish. My friend insisted I order this but me being too fickle decide to order something different.

Crispy Pork Belly I wish I didn’t order this. Claimed to be slow cooked for 7 – 9 hours, this crispy belly is indeed crispy and that’s all about it. With a strong pork taste, this belly is chewy in texture and nothing special about this that I can talk about. Come with kai lan and “sweet” pickled vegetable that are good friend of the lemon family and sauce that are too salty to stomach. This limited edition dish is nothing to rave about. Don’t bother trying.

Barracks Café overall is a pleasant place to dine, minus the fact that some dish are just not worth trying and service are pretty slow even there’s no much crowd.

Truffle fries and Prawn Capellini are the only reason that I will be back…but then again, how often will I crave for the above?

Well, I know many people rave about this place and I was dying to try the cold noodle which everyone is talking about but I left this place feeling full yet disappointed.

The Cold Noodle - supposed to come with sesame dressing however, I can't taste any sesame at all. I thought it was my tastebud playing trick so I asked my friend to try it out, he too can't taste the sesame. The noodle was done really Q, and I like the bamboo shoot and additional topping of sweet corn on it but that's about it.

The Char Siew Ramen(shoyu) was better than the cold noodle IMO, Q noodle and rich broth.

Service staffs were fast and friendly.

However I don't think I will be back, for the same price I will just be happy to go to Marutama for my 7-nut ramen + egg.

This little gem of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…let it shine…

Sweet Indulgence, indeed a little gem hidden among Stanley Street.(Digression: I grew up in this area, I used to stay at the other end of Stanley Street nearer to Boon Tat Street, ”hello, sweet old memories…”

It’s a Saturday night and wanting to avoid the crowd from town, I decided to organize a dinner gathering before a good friend fly off to States. Reservation was made a day before for a table for 7 at 730pm.

I was late for dinner as there’re some constructions going on along Stanley Street itself and parking are really limited even on a quiet Saturday. Wish the staff had inform me when I called them to confirmed my reservation earlier in the afternoon, this might save lots of hassle for the rest of my friends who have to park really far.

Down to the food, the yummylicious food.

1. Saute Mushroom $9.80 – This taste really good, with a good blend of white wine, olive oil and garlic, really brings out the good and juicy taste of the mushroom. IMO, I think this is nicer than the mushroom I had in Pasta Brava. Could use lesser salt thou – 3.8/5 (Psst Psst…Did I mentioned I’m not a mushroom lover?)

2. Ceasar Salad $12.80 – This bowl of salad is huge! I didn’t get to try it but my friend polished the whole bowl clean. Enough said isn’t it?

3. Spicy Prawn Spaghetti $17.90 – Managed to pick abit of this pasta and find it nicely done al dente, infused with aromatic garlic and olive oil. Succulent prawns add a nice texture when eaten with the spaghetti, could use lesser olive oil thou caused towards the end my 2 friends commented that their spaghetti are “soaked” in oil and I jokingly reply “Olive oil is healthy oil” – 4/5

4. Salmon and Mushroom Spaghetti $16.90 – Consistency is practice here; spaghetti is still done al dente. (We ordered this much later than the prawn spaghetti) Generous serving of salmon and mushroom, same problem, could use lesser olive oil. 4/5

5. Penne Siciliana $16.90 – Penne drenched in tomato base and toppings, didn’t get to taste this as friend is sitting at far end of the table. He said it’s not bad and he too finished the whole plate.

6. Baked Salmon Fillet $24.80 – I LOVE this fish!!! I normally avoid ordering fish, unless you’re talking about sashimi and I’m glad I ordered this! This fish is nicely done, baked till perfection I would say. I remembered my first cut with my knife, the sound of crisp fish skin being cut…ohhh nice! The fillet retained its juicy flesh, topped with cream sauce and finely chopped tomatoes and capsicum (I supposed) with mash potatoes underneath. Good choice of main for me. My friend all commented it’s the best dish of the night. 4.5/5

7. Cajun Pacific Dory $17.80 – Managed to pick from my buddy, this fish is nicely done too, I still prefer my salmon thou. The dory is well spiced and have a nice texture. I think it tad too salty for my liking but buddy cleared her plate too.

8. Pizza, FOC with 2 main ordered (HGW promo) - I didn’t managed to get the name of this pizza, as my friend ordered it, delicious toppings of sun-dried tomatoes, capsicums, sausages (I think) and loads of cheese. I like this cheesy bite but the pizza was not served warm enough so minus point for that. 3.8/5

9. Warm Chocolate Lava Indulgence $10.80 – This dessert was ordered before all the above as most of us are late due to lack of parking space, my 2 friends who tried this said it was just average and a little too dry. No wow-factors for them.

Total damage: $160.15 inclusive of 10% service charge. Which I think is reasonable.

I can say Sweet Indulgence is a place that serve good food, provide good service at average price. Beside the hiccups on the parking that night, all my friends commented that this is a nice little gem that they will consider during the weekend for quiet dinning and of cos I will recommend this place to everyone who wants to have a nice quiet meal without burning a hole in your pocket. =)

Little GEM, I will hold you close.

photos will be up soon

After a long meeting, I was trying to find some comforting food to feed my hungry stomach. I decided to try out Tea Cosy Located on the 5th Floor of Plaza Singapura, you can find this cosy café inside Eclectic Attic – A Vintage Heaven for vintage lovers.

I was there around 8-ish; only 1 table was occupied, so I get the little privilege to choose where to sit, so I chose the little corner at near the pink painted wall.

Orders were simple

1. Foie Gras Taster $11.95 (my order)
2. Tangy Tomato w Crabmeat Soup $8.95 (my order)
3. Rose Blossom Tea $4.50 (friend)

The soup was serve piping hot with a nice aroma, however this dark orangey hue soup don’t really taste as good as it sound. The soup is not tangy enough, in fact not tangy at all. Slightly too salty for my palate but I do like the crabmeat in it and I wish there were more to balance the taste.

The Foie Gras Taster, come on a plate with 4 porcelain spoons each, spoon have a leaf of baby lettuce, topped with a mini piece of mandarin orange (I think) and foie gras. Serving was generous for the price of $11.95; you get a decent bit of foie gras on each spoon, say about 3 bites per spoon. No wow-factors for me, however at this price I believe it can temporary satisfy the craving for fatty liver at real time.(for me at least)

Overall a pretty nice and cosy place for me, the food is okay, but the service made the whole experience a better one. A special thanks to the 3 gentlemen (1 from the retail and 2 from the café) for your warm service and sunny smile.

Okay...I know my title is abit duh...well, whatever lah...caused that what it seems to be...

Was given a task to bring my parents out for dinner after shopping at Ikea Tampines. I suggested Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant. Our orders were simple.

三撈河粉 - It's comes in 2 size. Small $6.50 or Large $11.

I personally prefer my 三撈河粉 slight wetter. The one they serve here is
abit too dry for my liking, the 河粉 is too "clotted" together. The 河粉 is so plain looking BUT tasty! Never judge the 河粉 by it's colour!

NOW...here's where my FishHead's Cherry was taken! I sux when it comes to eating fish. As long as the fish has bone, it's a NO NO for me. There's something about the fishhead here that change my mind.

豉汁苦瓜炒魚头 - Seasonal Price of $22 for a serving enough for 3 people. The aroma of the 豉汁 is good enough to kill me, I love anything 豉汁 from young. think childhood memories So I was really tempted to give this a try, maybe just a small piece I told myself. I took a bite eyes opened wide, tastebud explode inside my mouth OH...this is sooo yummy! So I went on eating it more and more till my mum realised and made comments that she need to bring me her more to get my fish intake. Do ask the kitchen to slice your 苦瓜 thinner as the one they serve with this dish is too thick to bite and enjoy.

Another enjoyable dinner for us, think mum will bring me back here for my fish intake :)

Drivers - coupon parking available opposite the "restaurant" or you can park at the basement carpark if you're willing to pay abit more than waiting during the peak dining time.

Decided to have a family get together lunch at ThaiPan before heading down to airport to catch my flight last Sunday. Reservation was made 2 days before just in case it gets too crowded after all the rave reviews.

Nestled in the Changi Civil Service Club, among the greenery and peaceful sea view housed this resident restaurant - ThaiPan. Upon entering the restaurant, we were welcomed by the friendly waitress. She gave us a seat near the door, facing the sea. Typical sight of a Zi Char restaurant with aquariums filled with lobsters and fishes. I like the high ceiling and woody feel of this place. I decide on the menu and these are what we had.

1. Thai Olive Rice $6 – Rice fried with olive and raisins with minced pork, cucumbers, onions and chilli padi at the side, topped with cashew nuts. A good mix of the above brings out the ultimate fragrance and taste of this dish. We polished the whole plate of rice and dad, someone who don’t live olive rice, was hinting if we should order another plate.

2. Braised Trotter with Steamed Buns $20 – When I first saw the giant plate, I went oh no, this is huge, I don't think we can finish it.I was sooooo wrong! The trotter was braised to perfections, the skin are firm to bite, meat are soft and juicy, the gravy are rich in flavor and not too salty its goes well with bun or plain rice. Another thumb up for this!

3. Butter Squid $8 – This is my favorite dish! I would say one of the nicest squid I’ve tasted. not trying to be exaggerating here The mixture of butter, egg yolks, spices and curry leaves just make it so delish. Cholesterol Alert

4. Kang Kong w Sambal $6 – This one is tad too oily for my liking

5. Jade Tofu with Chicken Floss $8 – Crispy from the outside and soft inside, topped with Chicken Floss. Simple and yummy, my sister who loves chicken floss wiped it all up.

6. Pad Thai $4.50 – We were all full till tip by now but mum being greedy hinted that we should try this, mum heart pad thai, everywhere she goes, as long as its on the menu, she will order it. This dish doesn’t look pad thai to me, it don’t taste like the normal pad thai but it’s not too bad either, it’s a little too wet for my liking thou. Mixed feeling.

Total damage: $ 61 for 4 people. Oh well, it’s not a damage at all! Good food, nice view, prompt service and reasonable price. Where can one find such good deal? Overall it’s an enjoyable meal for the whole family.