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Holland Village

The best way to relieve stress is to do things that makes you happy. So I planned in advance to give myself a treat right after my first paper, which was fine & I did with no regrets. There's still two wars ahead so the treat is what I've decided to encourage myself with.

Cotton Candy Frappuccino & Tazo Green Tea Creme Frappucino ($13.80)

Waited 2 hours at Starbucks for a restaurant to open at 6pm, good food are meant to be waited. & So I finally got to try my Cotton Candy Frappe! Ordering is simple, simply say you want a "Vanilla Frappe with a pump of raspberry syrup, tall." The female baristas there know their pink. 

Kinara, Contemporary Indian Cuisine

24 Lorong Mambong Holland Village, Singapore 277683 (Holland Village MRT)

Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30pm. Dinner: 6pm - 11pm.

It was humid outside so we didn't want the open-air dining. The inside of the restaurant looks elegant & atas, smells & sounds culturally pleasant so I kinda enjoyed this first visit. I may not seem like it but Indian cuisine is actually my favourite so I'm always excited whenever my food buddy agrees to go with me. (He's Indian not he's not a fan of Indian food.) Anyone reading this wants to be my food buddy too? 

Please don't mind the picture quality. Their POS system is awesome and in a touch-screen pad & you just order what you like and click "send", which is great because I don't really like talking.

This free side appetizer is served first, with fresh apple jam & a green sauce, which if my taste bud is not wrong should be a curried cilantro chilli pepper sauce. Apply both sauce on the cracker & you'll enjoy really good complimentary flavours and textures. 

I'm really glad! Our orders are all served warm together! One of my pet peeves in dining is when a restaurant doesn't serve all the food together, it says a lot about the love they put into cooking and serving.  

Herb Naan ($4.50)

This naan top with fresh mint and herbs right here is possibly the best naan I've tried so far in Singapore at a 5/5. I've tried a couple from different shops in Little India but they just don't taste as good as this. This Indian flatbread is the most typical, easiest and simplest for them to cook but then again easy things are difficult to be perfected to get the 'wow' factor, & at this place, I've got it. 

Jeera Pulao ($5)

This is simply just basmati rice dotted with jeera, which is cumin seeds. It's light and fluffy and compliments the other dishes well but I'm not really a fan of pricey rice, so probably a 3/5 with price as the only downside. 

Murgh Tikka Masala ($22)

This awesome dish is made up of boneless tandoori chicken cooked with chef's special spices. It's basically a creamy tomato-based curry with really flavourful spices. Do you know that Indians are actually the world's best user for spices? That's the main reason why I love Indian food & this deserves a 4.8/5. 

Murgh Pashtoom, Butter Chicken ($22.50)

This is a classic Indian dish & especially meant for people who can't take spicy food! My Indian food buddy orders this most of the time because he can't take spicy, ironic right? Many versions of this dish exist & this one right here has really been marinated over night with good yoghurt & spice, which complements the chicken really well. & You just have to top it over your basmati rice or naan & it'll be heaven! 4.8/5. 

The final bill may seem like a damage but its still a highly recommend place. Do it when you're financially stable or simply have the heart to splurge once in awhile. Remember, sometimes we're not just paying for hunger, we may be paying for the whole experience, taste & awesomeness itself. 

Overall Ratings: (4.7/5)

What I Liked: Taste, Quality, Variety, Great Indian Cuisine, Ambience, POS System

What I Disliked: Price/Affordability

Celebration

Miss the fireworks from National Day? Do drop by Harbourfront area to catch some distant fireworks set off by USS on Saturdays or selected holidays! & Speaking about happy events, brought my food buddy to The King Louis for his birthday celebration. Those who frequent the Daiso at Vivocity would already have came across this theme restaurant long ago. Honestly, I did not know about this till a friend recommended it to me recently. 

The King Louis Grill & Bar 

VivoCity, #03-07A

1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585 (Harbourfront MRT)

This castle-themed restaurant serves cuisine that represents what the royal families eat in the medieval period. Upon arrival, the entrance and dining area are all guarded with these armoured knights around 2 metres tall. To add on, there's also a life-size tiger figure as well as really customized furnishings to fit the theme. I didn't manage to take a picture of the other side of the restaurant, but we were able to see the Far Far Away Castle from Universal Studios, so the owner really do know how to pick the perfect location. 

Knights of the Round Table - Platter A ($19.90)

We helped ourselves to our platter of starters & it includes castle drumlets, bratwurst sausages, banana bacon bites, crispy wedges and some side mesclun salad. The salad was amazing & the rest were fine. The only thing we didn't really like was that the drumlets were a tad bit stiff. This is a 3.7/5.

BBQ Chicken Pullet ($17.50)

Along with some mesclun and straight cut fries, this was served piping hot to our table & the chicken was tender and delicious. However, in my opinion maybe it was slightly overcooked because there were some dry parts. Still, the portion is good for its price, an honest 3.9/5.

Carlsberg Battered Fish & Chips ($17.90)

This came to us with side mesclun, lemon wedges and tartar sauce. To me, it wasn't a wow factor I was expecting because fish & chips from an English restaurant were supposed to be amazing than other places. But besides the outer crisp, it wasn't perfect, therefore for me its a 3.3/5. Maybe my expectations were too high but the next time I ever visit, I'll definitely try something else. Heard from my friend the banquet were amazing & worth the price!

So anyway all the food were served together but not everything was served hot. My idea is that we visited at an awkward timing at 5.10pm and they were probably short-handed in the kitchen so I couldn't blame.

The restaurant does show some potential, they are smart enough to have the same side dishes (mesclun & fries) to most of the entrees because of their long menu but we couldn't finish everything because of this reason as well; I do hope we can request for other sides next time. Overall I heard that it was a good family restaurant & the live band/music were great, we weren't able to enjoy the performance because we left just the time it was about to start. So if you ever think of visiting, reserve a table any time after 6.30pm. 

Overall Ratings: (3.8/5)
What I Liked: Ambience, Service, Concept
What I Disliked: Price, Exceptionally Large Portions

It is actually my kind of thing that I visit another restaurant/cafe for separate desserts. This not only give me a new environment to experience but also the chance to capture the first impression of a new place. This place has actually been in Singapore for years, but I have no idea why I didn't try it in the past.

Image Courtesy:  http://www.fruitparadise.com.sg/

Fruits Paradise

VivoCity, #01-59
1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585 (Harbourfront MRT)

Strawberry Tiramisu ($6.80)

This healthy-looking tart tasted fresh and light with hint of sweet and bitter in between. The crust is well-made and I believe that's the key to a perfect tart. A good 4.5/5. Sadly, only left enough money to stomach one tart, but my next visit I'm hoping on trying their mixed berries chocolate or seasonal fruits versions. 

Overall Ratings: (4.5/5)

What I Liked: Quality, Taste, Variety, Ambience

What I Disliked: Nil

Distraction

So I have been procrastinating, a lot. Home itself is a distraction, my laptop is always on for 12 hours/day & my phone is always with me. I will always read some blogs, recipes and watch some newly uploaded videos & movies. When I get bored of technology, my passion decides to distract me. I've been cooking a lot lately, making crepes & trying out new recipes & failing. Oh well. I hope my mental state won't go lazy once I get over with my shopping tomorrow & the day after. Anyway, this particular song is stuck in my mind.

By the way, not all of my blog posts would be about food reviews. Although 98% will contain food, but honestly at my current state, I do not have enough funds to try out new places every time. Furthermore, my food buddy isn't really a fan of changes, so this kinda restricts me too. I really need more food buddies. Okay so what I'm saying is, do expect some common food appearing in the future as well yeah? Another entry will be up by the end of this week!

Typical Day Out

Ever since Jem opened its doors in June, it has become my new favourite hang-out place to go. Firstly, there are several new eateries to try out, secondly, quality and service always seem to be of top priorities at many new outlets. Initially, we couldn't decide whether to go for Asian cuisines at Lee's Taiwanese or Shin Kushiya or Western cuisines at Marche Movenpick or Ambush. We went ahead with Ambush because of their wider floor space & more relaxing environment. First impression counts. 

Image Courtesy:  https://www.facebook.com/AmbushSG

Ambush - Fast Casual European Dining

Jem®, #04-13/14 

50 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 608549 (Jurong East MRT)

Poulet Roti ($17.20)

We had this French dish of roasted garlic & herb rubbed chicken leg with grainy mustard mash with yellow chanterelle mushrooms, reduced cream sauce & seasonal vegetables. It wasn't exceptionally awesome but a good try. I'd rate it 3.5/5. 

Sesame Crusted Salmon Fillet - 160g ($17.80)

This French dish was served with cranberry rice, scallion capers hollandaise & garden greens. I give it a 3.8/5 because the rice & sauce was amazing, but maybe a little more flavour to the fish.

Ambush Paella ($14.20)

This Spanish dish comes with white clams, mussels, queen scallop, prawns, sliced bacon and sausages. It's a very flavourful dish but just a little too liquidity than normal. So it's a 3/5 and I do hope the other paellas taste better considering it's Spain's national dish. 

Overall Ratings: (3.5/5)

What I Liked: Ambience, Variety, Casual/Convenient European Food

What I Disliked: Price, Inaccessible Website

For desserts my food buddy & I went straight to Mado, the one place that I've always wanted to try one month before Jem opened. I'm sure many around me have heard me raving about this place again & again.

Image Courtesy:  http://www.mado.asia/about-us/company-info/

MADO Cafe

Jem®, #01-04 

50 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 608549 (Jurong East MRT)

Sliced Ice Cream - Original & Pistachio ($11.50)

Normal ice creams you find out there are totally made from cow's milk, gelatin and other artificial flavours. These sliced maras cut are natural organic stuff from goat's milk and Salep, a type of Turkish flour. The ice cream itself not only tasted flavour-rich and of high quality, the consistency is also perfected so that it doesn't melt easily. Recommended way of eating? With your knife & fork, it's slice-able. Although the price after GST & Service Charges are around $13.50, a little expensive for few spoonfuls of ice cream, I was upset with the hole in my pockets but nevertheless, I still love this plate so much I'm rating it 5/5. It's worth it. 

This cafe also serves halal Turkish food, pastries, ice cream & fine beverages. Unfortunately, we only had enough space for desserts and also there for one thing - the ice cream. So I can't give reviews about the other stuff. By the way, it's not easy to find Turkish ice cream in Singapore anymore, the fun tricky one at Far East Plaza already closed down long ago. So this place would probably be the place I'd go the next time I crave for chewy ice cream.

Overall Ratings: (4.8/5)

What I Liked: Quality, Taste, Service

What I Disliked: Limited/Small Space, Inaccessible Website

Life is Delicious

Most of my school friends/cliques would know the true reason why I hardly never eat in school. Honestly, I don't really eat out of hunger, I tend to always prefer to starve myself most of the time just to save money for better food outside. So the day out this time involves 2 new places. First stopover was an early barbecue lunch. 

Ssikkek BBQ (Korean Grill BBQ Buffet)

United Square, #B1-15/16/17  

101 Thomson Road, Singapore 307591 (Novena MRT)

The entire place is kind of spacious as the restaurant occupies 3 regular units space. There are several televisions hanging on the wall playing K-Pop performances, the one we watched were Psy appearing on some Korean show. 

So after including GST & Service charges, each person paid exactly $16.50. Taking into considerations the 1.5 hours of time we spent there, this is actually relatively cheap & affordable. The main buffet selection ranges from 5-6 trays of meat including - spicy chicken, garlic chicken, pork collar, squid etc. to cooked food such as - glass noodle, spicy rice cakes, sushi etc. as well as 4 different types of soup - creamy ginseng, seafood, seaweed, kimchi. There are also other side dishes like salads & fruits too. 

When life gives you lettuce, wrap your meat with it. & When life gives you colourful greens, enjoy it contentedly. 

Overall Ratings: (3.5/5)

What I Liked:  Meat, Price, Ambience

What I Disliked: Seaweed & Seafood Soup, Absence of Hotpots. 

Our lunch pretty much filled our stomach to the extent that we had to walk for an hour or two around town in order to visit the next location, just in time for high-tea. 

Paris Baguette Singapore

Wisma Atria #02-48 to 53

435 Orchard Road, Singapore 239977 (Orchard MRT)

Honestly, I've always wanted to try this place. Even though it opened last year, I'm only finally trying them now because the place were always just, well, crowded. It's rare that you can easily find seats within few minutes, this time it took us roughly 8 minutes to get the best seats in the house. They do provide take-aways, but I like to pay for my surrounding environment.

The top Korean bakery adopts the self-ordering system, which in my personal opinion can get things messy. But the freshly baked bread, cakes, sandwiches, salads & beverages do help to distract that mess. 

Their gorgeous cakes selection tempts you so badly you often feel like trying everything. I would do that only if they are cheaper. But if you do have the ability, do it because their quality is beyond amazing. 

This is their savoury brunch selection, yet to try.  They all seemed international, will try during my next visit.

The things we ordered in a nutshell. From top down - Oh~ My Baby Crepe ($8), The Perfect New York Cheesecake ($8), Condensed Milk Cream Baguette ($2.20), Royal Mango Pudding ($4.50) Italian Chicken Calzone ($3.60). 

The Royal Pudding is definitely a must-try! A deserving 4.5/5, it totally taste like heaven in your mouth with rich, creamy and smooth texture of high-quality milk. The other must-try would be the Condensed Milk Cream Baguette, its a soft fluffy bread with light and sweetened condensed milk, a 4.2/5 which is definitely an on-the-go snack that can cheer you up on a tired/stressful day. It is also one of the cheapest item available.

Their Italian Chicken Calzone taste relatively okay, filled with fillings of chicken in marinara sauce & Italian dressing with hint of cheese.  I wouldn't say that it's must-try but the flavour is there, just that it would definitely be better if its served warm, a typical rating of 3.8/5.

This is a dream come true. Oh~ My Baby Crepe as mushy a name it can get it's a highly recommended order for everyone who decides to visit there. The soft sponge cake is layered with strawberries and crepes topped with simple icing and raspberry. The sweetness isn't over-powering so you won't get tired after awhile, a simple light delicate dessert after your hearty meal from elsewhere. Awesome level 4.8/5.

The total bill averages to roughly $8 per person. (A total of 4 people) Therefore it's always better to order a decent variety & share the taste & love & price with more people. 

Overall Ratings: (4.5/5)

What I Liked:  Ambience, Quality, Taste, Variety.

What I Disliked: Queue, Price, Self-Order System, Lack of Seats

Recommended: Oh~ My Baby Crepe, Royal Mango Pudding, Condensed Milk Cream Baguette.

A Little Introduction

I used to be an active blogger during the period of July 2008 - December 2011.  I stopped blogging because I found myself lacking inspiration writing about my mundane life. Back then, I wasn't as obsessed with my passion as much as now. Recently, I've realized that I have a goal of making other people hungry. So I'll start off with my food portfolio that I'm incredibly in love with. Feel free to check out more in my gallery!

Make today ridiculously amazing, do more of what makes you happy. I'll certainly be back with some food reviews. Enjoy this song by my recent favourite musicians, they are just awesome.