In my non stop food binging just before the holidays, I had to take a trip to meet my wife's colleagues for the first time. I have to say that the company was excellent, the food on the other hand was something else.
I enjoy a good Sunday brunch. There was free flow champagne and I had my fair share of 5 - 6 glasses, but you can't really keep a count because they keep refilling the champagne before you can even finish a glass full. Honestly, the champagne was decent. The food not so much.
We arrived at 1130 am when the buffet started at 12 and we were supposed to meet at 11. Bemused that all the food was laid out but nobody could eat it as per the restaurant management ruling. Scanning through the range of food available, it wasn't great. There was no dish or thing worthy to slaver.
I especially like the roast beef and pan fried beef with marinated scallops. Those were great. The lobster tasted old, the pasta station, I never understand the pasta stations at buffets, but I have no complaints. The restaurant would rather you load up on carbs than have you eating all the good stuff like lobster and shrimp. Nearly everything else was average. And I tried a little bit of everything. I couldn't help but think to myself that I've had better.
Again, thank goodness the company made the meal delightful. The desserts were ridiculously bland and thank goodness I had so much champagne that it actually made me sleepy when I got home and was ready for my 3 hour nap! The total cost for the both of us was $160. I would say it is relatively cheap since there was so much champagne involved.
So here is my advice: Go only when the company is good and you only really want the champagne.
Ristorante de Valentino
Fact. I have been raving about this restaurant non stop even though I have never been there. Fact. I love Italian food. Fact. I got a $100 voucher from my sweet mother in law (who is coming to Singapore) for New Year! Fact. I actually went to the restaurant this week!
I have read many reviews about the place so it was time to actually go try it. I think that without a doubt, this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore. And that is before I even stepped into the restaurant. So with all the hype and expectation, the missus and I went to the restaurant over the weekend.
Immediately, I felt out of place. I sms'ed Mr. T to inform him that there were 2 Ferraris, a couple of beamers and mercs parked outside the restaurant! He promptly responded with "Welcome to the West!" We made our reservations many weeks ago and the server, gave us a window seat. Ahh, just the type of seats that I like!
The decor of the restaurant is quaint and exotic. It reminds of a small house in Italy and ambiance is almost you're at a friend's home having a meal. I panned through the menu and we decided together that we were going to have several things. We ordered the Orichette Pasta with dried tomatoes and chicken, a Quarto Stagioni Pizza and a Rack of Veal with Porcini Sauce. I ordered my glass of Tuscan red Italian wine ( I think its my favorite now, but I can't fully decide yet) and my wife had her sweet dry wine, which was not on the menu but the server told us that it was an option and my wife took it. Our desserts we later ordered were a Chocolate Salami with Vanilla Ice cream and the missus ordered the famous cake.
In summary. The food was excellent! The Orichette was done magnificently. The pasta was tender and sauce was finger licking good. The pizza was (I think I have officially run out of superlatives) great. The crust wasn't burnt and the combination was magical. The veal, I loved. My wife didn't really take the idea of eating baby calf, but I thought that the porcini sauce for the rack of veal should have been stolen to make another pasta sauce. The porcini was creamy and delightful. My tongue was rolling on the edge having a high like never before. My dessert was great. Chocolate salami, how wrong can it be? And the cake was decent.
There is however a low point for the restaurant. With all the hype and expectation, and the food being excellent. We left the restaurant unimpressed. Again, nothing the restaurant did was wrong. The service was friendly and I honestly felt so comfortable because there were so many couples of mixed races there! I might have sub consciously wanted more from the restaurant. I still can't put a finger to it. I will go back to wait for the Steak Florentine but isn't it strange when you expect so much for something and when you reach there, it becomes somewhat of an anti climax?
Feeling strange but highly recommended.
I have read many reviews about the place so it was time to actually go try it. I think that without a doubt, this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore. And that is before I even stepped into the restaurant. So with all the hype and expectation, the missus and I went to the restaurant over the weekend.
Immediately, I felt out of place. I sms'ed Mr. T to inform him that there were 2 Ferraris, a couple of beamers and mercs parked outside the restaurant! He promptly responded with "Welcome to the West!" We made our reservations many weeks ago and the server, gave us a window seat. Ahh, just the type of seats that I like!
The decor of the restaurant is quaint and exotic. It reminds of a small house in Italy and ambiance is almost you're at a friend's home having a meal. I panned through the menu and we decided together that we were going to have several things. We ordered the Orichette Pasta with dried tomatoes and chicken, a Quarto Stagioni Pizza and a Rack of Veal with Porcini Sauce. I ordered my glass of Tuscan red Italian wine ( I think its my favorite now, but I can't fully decide yet) and my wife had her sweet dry wine, which was not on the menu but the server told us that it was an option and my wife took it. Our desserts we later ordered were a Chocolate Salami with Vanilla Ice cream and the missus ordered the famous cake.
In summary. The food was excellent! The Orichette was done magnificently. The pasta was tender and sauce was finger licking good. The pizza was (I think I have officially run out of superlatives) great. The crust wasn't burnt and the combination was magical. The veal, I loved. My wife didn't really take the idea of eating baby calf, but I thought that the porcini sauce for the rack of veal should have been stolen to make another pasta sauce. The porcini was creamy and delightful. My tongue was rolling on the edge having a high like never before. My dessert was great. Chocolate salami, how wrong can it be? And the cake was decent.
There is however a low point for the restaurant. With all the hype and expectation, and the food being excellent. We left the restaurant unimpressed. Again, nothing the restaurant did was wrong. The service was friendly and I honestly felt so comfortable because there were so many couples of mixed races there! I might have sub consciously wanted more from the restaurant. I still can't put a finger to it. I will go back to wait for the Steak Florentine but isn't it strange when you expect so much for something and when you reach there, it becomes somewhat of an anti climax?
Feeling strange but highly recommended.
SHIN KUSHIYA
Call me crazy. But I am tired of going to the same Japanese Restaurants and eating the standard Japanese fare. I don't like to eat the same thing over and over again. I think its madness. Sure, I have to eat chicken rice, wontan noodles every week but that's besides the point. I like something different every time.
With the advice of Mr. and Mrs. Tasty Bites, we went to a restaurant at Vivocity. First of all, I have never been to Vivocity. I was not impressed but my wife did like the scenery.We hung out at the book store Page One, which my wife bought several books to read, and we met Mr. T outside the restaurant.
SHIN KUSHIYA is the name of the restaurant. We sat down and ordered. With the advice of Mr. T, we ordered all the Yakitori. I am tired of going to Japanese restaurants and ordering noodles, rice and sushi. We ordered, foie gras, beef, fish, vegetable, pork, chicken; the works. I have read several dissenting views about this place but I have to say that alot of it are wrong. The quality of the fish is outstanding. The beef is absolutely tender and the chicken and pork sticks are savory. I have eaten tons of yakitori at so many restaurants, and they range from the local satay sticks to the over zealous terriyaki sauce yakitori. This restaurant has a firm hand in the terriyaki sauce department and the only thing missing on this day was rice. I never ordered rice!
The service was outstanding and the view beautiful. If you want something different at Vivocity, go to SHIN KUSHIYA. Don't order the sushi and rolls, and noodles and what have you. Order the Yakitori. I know I will be going back there again pretty soon. We ordered so much that we had to stop ourselves from ordering too much.
The damage was about $140 for 4 people because Mrs. T showed up later. We ordered all sorts of drinks and had a great time. What it lacks, is just more variety for its Yakitori, and that's about it.
By the way, I heard that they might be opening somewhere more convenient soon. So look out for it.
With the advice of Mr. and Mrs. Tasty Bites, we went to a restaurant at Vivocity. First of all, I have never been to Vivocity. I was not impressed but my wife did like the scenery.We hung out at the book store Page One, which my wife bought several books to read, and we met Mr. T outside the restaurant.
SHIN KUSHIYA is the name of the restaurant. We sat down and ordered. With the advice of Mr. T, we ordered all the Yakitori. I am tired of going to Japanese restaurants and ordering noodles, rice and sushi. We ordered, foie gras, beef, fish, vegetable, pork, chicken; the works. I have read several dissenting views about this place but I have to say that alot of it are wrong. The quality of the fish is outstanding. The beef is absolutely tender and the chicken and pork sticks are savory. I have eaten tons of yakitori at so many restaurants, and they range from the local satay sticks to the over zealous terriyaki sauce yakitori. This restaurant has a firm hand in the terriyaki sauce department and the only thing missing on this day was rice. I never ordered rice!
The service was outstanding and the view beautiful. If you want something different at Vivocity, go to SHIN KUSHIYA. Don't order the sushi and rolls, and noodles and what have you. Order the Yakitori. I know I will be going back there again pretty soon. We ordered so much that we had to stop ourselves from ordering too much.
The damage was about $140 for 4 people because Mrs. T showed up later. We ordered all sorts of drinks and had a great time. What it lacks, is just more variety for its Yakitori, and that's about it.
By the way, I heard that they might be opening somewhere more convenient soon. So look out for it.
Point-Counterpoint
I actually think that my debating skills are better than those on local television. So to prove my point, I will have to disagree with Mr. Tasty Bites, I have not going around eating at the nice places. Mr. T points me to the direction of the restaurants, I just go. Its a subservient relationship. If one can call it that.
The other point being I hate this new blogger thing. Its been ruining my spacing in my writing of the blog. I blame BLOGGER!
Back to talking about food ....
The other point being I hate this new blogger thing. Its been ruining my spacing in my writing of the blog. I blame BLOGGER!
Back to talking about food ....
Kaffe
Guess what. It took me THIS long to migrate my old blogger account to the current one installed by Google. Talk about technophobia. Heheheh..
Whilst my brother FC has been on his usual ristorante tours around the island, yours truly has taken a seat in a local coffee culture appreciation club and learning what makes a good espresso tick. I've only recently come to appreciate (and am still learning) the GULF in taste and quality between Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Spinelli and outlets which claim to serve decent coffee versus D-I-Y coffee.
So how did I get hooked ? The last "decent" cup of coffee I had was from Spinelli's 4 months ago. I vividly remember suffering from a huge headache after consuming less than half a cup of harmless takeout latte. I thought it was the caffeine doing the work of the devil. Apparently not so.. read on to find out!
It so happened a friend of mine got hold of a non commercial Espresso Gaggia machine and Gaggia grinder around the same time I had that cup of horror. After toying around with it for 2 months and proclaiming the virtues of DIY coffee, he invited me over to his home for a cuppa. It was one fateful Saturday morning not too long ago that I rocked up to his mansion to see what the fanfare was all about.
I stumbled into his kitchen and into the presence of 3 "coffee geeks". Modelled somewhat after AA, this support group has a monthly meet up session with the aim to share the essential technicalities involved in making that perfect espresso. All of them own a basic set consisting of a roaster, grinder, manual/semi automatic espresso machine and are strictly available only from specialised distributors. Even a fully automatic Krups $1,900 machine from a good department store will not suffice!
Casually arranged on the table were a nice set of demitasse cups and saucers for the morning's brew. Seems everyone brought their own stash of freshly roasted coffee beans and everyone was eager to introduce their personal favourites.
It was drummed in me from the very beginning of my re-education that coffee has to be treated with the utmost respect. The DIY method allows total control over the freshness and taste of the beverage as it was meant to be enjoyed as opposed to buying freeze dried grounds of unknown origin/blend.
I sat in the corner, a passive observer, trying to absorb as much as I possibly could. After 10 minutes of studying intently, I was finally offered the first shot of the day. Oozing from the espresso machine's portafilter was pure bliss - a rich golden hue of almost syrupy consistency with an excellent layer of crema finishing off the shot. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung thick in the air and it smelled wonderful.
I put the double walled Bodum espresso cup to my lips and sipped gently on that rich liquid and slowly let it swirl in my mouth. Slight hint of bitterness in there, can't seem to taste the chocolate and berries...... and this was followed by a slight sourness on the tongue. Nonetheless, I had unknowingly consumed 3 full shots of espresso in that one single cup! No wonder my friend was cracking up as he failed to tell me that before I consumed it.
Six hours later, he rang me , apparently concerned that I might suffer from the same headache causing caffeine overdose that I thought was the guilty party in that "strong cup of coffee" from Spinelli's. Apparently not!!! I did not suffer from ANY side effects and thoroughly enjoyed another cuppa (so total 6 shots here). Finally, I was told that the cup of coffee I had at Spinelli's was either probably due to overextraction of the beans or that the beans were over roasted. They claim the local barista's are not well trained enough to deliver.
I was a convert.
Presently, I have 2 bags of green coffee beans sitting in my pantry. One bag hails from the mecca of coffee, Seattle's own Espresso Vivace. It's a decaf bean with most of the caffeine removed via the Swiss Water method. The other bag of beans is known as "El Placer Colombia Cup Of Excellence" or The Pleasure from well known US coffee distributor Sweet Maria's.
I am working towards getting a basic set of equipment after I sell some leftover audio equipment to raise the necessary $1,700 at least. Gulp. Heavy investment huh ? Indeed, but you gotta do it yourself if you wanna get it done right.
Have a great week!
Whilst my brother FC has been on his usual ristorante tours around the island, yours truly has taken a seat in a local coffee culture appreciation club and learning what makes a good espresso tick. I've only recently come to appreciate (and am still learning) the GULF in taste and quality between Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Spinelli and outlets which claim to serve decent coffee versus D-I-Y coffee.
So how did I get hooked ? The last "decent" cup of coffee I had was from Spinelli's 4 months ago. I vividly remember suffering from a huge headache after consuming less than half a cup of harmless takeout latte. I thought it was the caffeine doing the work of the devil. Apparently not so.. read on to find out!
It so happened a friend of mine got hold of a non commercial Espresso Gaggia machine and Gaggia grinder around the same time I had that cup of horror. After toying around with it for 2 months and proclaiming the virtues of DIY coffee, he invited me over to his home for a cuppa. It was one fateful Saturday morning not too long ago that I rocked up to his mansion to see what the fanfare was all about.
I stumbled into his kitchen and into the presence of 3 "coffee geeks". Modelled somewhat after AA, this support group has a monthly meet up session with the aim to share the essential technicalities involved in making that perfect espresso. All of them own a basic set consisting of a roaster, grinder, manual/semi automatic espresso machine and are strictly available only from specialised distributors. Even a fully automatic Krups $1,900 machine from a good department store will not suffice!
Casually arranged on the table were a nice set of demitasse cups and saucers for the morning's brew. Seems everyone brought their own stash of freshly roasted coffee beans and everyone was eager to introduce their personal favourites.
It was drummed in me from the very beginning of my re-education that coffee has to be treated with the utmost respect. The DIY method allows total control over the freshness and taste of the beverage as it was meant to be enjoyed as opposed to buying freeze dried grounds of unknown origin/blend.
I sat in the corner, a passive observer, trying to absorb as much as I possibly could. After 10 minutes of studying intently, I was finally offered the first shot of the day. Oozing from the espresso machine's portafilter was pure bliss - a rich golden hue of almost syrupy consistency with an excellent layer of crema finishing off the shot. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung thick in the air and it smelled wonderful.
I put the double walled Bodum espresso cup to my lips and sipped gently on that rich liquid and slowly let it swirl in my mouth. Slight hint of bitterness in there, can't seem to taste the chocolate and berries...... and this was followed by a slight sourness on the tongue. Nonetheless, I had unknowingly consumed 3 full shots of espresso in that one single cup! No wonder my friend was cracking up as he failed to tell me that before I consumed it.
Six hours later, he rang me , apparently concerned that I might suffer from the same headache causing caffeine overdose that I thought was the guilty party in that "strong cup of coffee" from Spinelli's. Apparently not!!! I did not suffer from ANY side effects and thoroughly enjoyed another cuppa (so total 6 shots here). Finally, I was told that the cup of coffee I had at Spinelli's was either probably due to overextraction of the beans or that the beans were over roasted. They claim the local barista's are not well trained enough to deliver.
I was a convert.
Presently, I have 2 bags of green coffee beans sitting in my pantry. One bag hails from the mecca of coffee, Seattle's own Espresso Vivace. It's a decaf bean with most of the caffeine removed via the Swiss Water method. The other bag of beans is known as "El Placer Colombia Cup Of Excellence" or The Pleasure from well known US coffee distributor Sweet Maria's.
I am working towards getting a basic set of equipment after I sell some leftover audio equipment to raise the necessary $1,700 at least. Gulp. Heavy investment huh ? Indeed, but you gotta do it yourself if you wanna get it done right.
Have a great week!
Ode to Crystal Jade Seah
Hi Jade, how you doin? It seems a long time ago that you appeared on Miss Universe Singapore and lost to Carol Cheong in a deeply competitive and somewhat controversial social competition. I thought about it long and hard about why you lost, when I could remember, and all of a sudden, you re-appeared in our lives again through snippets of television time.
What's up? I haven't been catching up on the new show you are on about dancing floors but what is this hosting business? You're young and fresh and could have been a great investment banker with your degree from SMU, and now you're hosting uncomfortably among boys who are wearing strange clothes and trying to act like robots in front of you. I can tell you're always trying not to laugh at the bad dance moves.
What's up? I haven't been catching up on the new show you are on about dancing floors but what is this hosting business? You're young and fresh and could have been a great investment banker with your degree from SMU, and now you're hosting uncomfortably among boys who are wearing strange clothes and trying to act like robots in front of you. I can tell you're always trying not to laugh at the bad dance moves.
Not being your biggest fan, can I offer one objective suggestion? Okay. Maybe more than one? Relax. Be cool. Be a diva.
And since this is food blog, have your manager call up Crystal Jade and ask them to sponsor you. its a match made in heaven. Imagine, Crystal; meet Jade.
jade, jade
i think its kinda late ...
I can't do it. Sorry.
Main points: Enjoy yourself hosting. It takes time to be a good host. And get your manager to get you the job of spokesperson for Crystal Jade restaurants.Good match.
And now, my long awaited ode to Diana Ser......
WIne Garage
My wife's boss has been raving about this place and so being a good employee, my wife decided to try out the restaurant. I invited Tasty Bites, (for all dramatic purposes, I shall call him Mr. T) because the missus wasn't around and we could catch up on the Liverpool FC investment situation and thus isolating my wife. Just kidding, we minimized the talking about our beloved reds and concentrated on the food.
At Wine Garage We ordered the Antipasto platter, my wife ordered her sides of cheese and olives and a spinach salad while Mr. T and I ordered the grilled beef "rib-less," ribs with porcini risotto, and the restaurant being called what it is, we ordered some wine.
The deco took some time to get used to. Mr. T continually amazes me with his knowledge about all things told me that a lot of this industrial type design restaurants are really popular in Australia. The deco is nice. Its both a touch industrial without a hint of pretentious. Our server, which I have to say was one of the best servers I have had in Singapore, was polite, fast and made good recommendations.
The antipasto platter was outstanding. Loved it. A mixture of parma ham, cured mushrooms, salmon and fresh olives including the bread was excellent. My wife loved her cheese and olives and she claimed that the spinach salad is the best salad in Singapore; so that speaks volumes on how good the dishes are.
I was somewhat disappointed with my dish. I just felt that grilled beef tasted more braised than grilled. And that was my only contention with it. The porcini risotto was good and my Italian wine delightful. Mr. T didn't really say anything bad about his dish but I could tell that he liked it.
We enjoyed each others company and the restaurant didn't get crowded till very much later in the evening. I recommend this restaurant especially on their burger Tuesdays and I have to say that this is one of the better restaurants where service and food is of a good standard.
At Wine Garage We ordered the Antipasto platter, my wife ordered her sides of cheese and olives and a spinach salad while Mr. T and I ordered the grilled beef "rib-less," ribs with porcini risotto, and the restaurant being called what it is, we ordered some wine.
The deco took some time to get used to. Mr. T continually amazes me with his knowledge about all things told me that a lot of this industrial type design restaurants are really popular in Australia. The deco is nice. Its both a touch industrial without a hint of pretentious. Our server, which I have to say was one of the best servers I have had in Singapore, was polite, fast and made good recommendations.
The antipasto platter was outstanding. Loved it. A mixture of parma ham, cured mushrooms, salmon and fresh olives including the bread was excellent. My wife loved her cheese and olives and she claimed that the spinach salad is the best salad in Singapore; so that speaks volumes on how good the dishes are.
I was somewhat disappointed with my dish. I just felt that grilled beef tasted more braised than grilled. And that was my only contention with it. The porcini risotto was good and my Italian wine delightful. Mr. T didn't really say anything bad about his dish but I could tell that he liked it.
We enjoyed each others company and the restaurant didn't get crowded till very much later in the evening. I recommend this restaurant especially on their burger Tuesdays and I have to say that this is one of the better restaurants where service and food is of a good standard.
California Pizza Kitchen
So we were hungry, desperate, got lost on an island. It was getting late and we didn't know what to do. We walked as fast as we could and we saw a restaurant called California Pizza Kitchen. Place: Forum Galleria. Country: Singapore. Time: Its eating time!
As we entered the restaurant, we discovered that some how, we were the 2 skinniest people in the restaurant. The menu was decent and the restaurant quiet. Unusual for a restaurant in town in the weekend. We ordered the Italian pizza and a pepperoni pizza. I had my fill of Ice Lemon Tea and the missus her ice water. We later ordered dessert, some brownies and ice cream; thus the damage was $50 some dollars.
The food was decent. The pepperoni pizza was average at best. The Italian pizza was much better. Will I go back again? No. Probably not. The ambiance was nice but it wasn't like a pizzeria like I experienced back home.
Alas, good American pizza cannot be found in Singapore.
As we entered the restaurant, we discovered that some how, we were the 2 skinniest people in the restaurant. The menu was decent and the restaurant quiet. Unusual for a restaurant in town in the weekend. We ordered the Italian pizza and a pepperoni pizza. I had my fill of Ice Lemon Tea and the missus her ice water. We later ordered dessert, some brownies and ice cream; thus the damage was $50 some dollars.
The food was decent. The pepperoni pizza was average at best. The Italian pizza was much better. Will I go back again? No. Probably not. The ambiance was nice but it wasn't like a pizzeria like I experienced back home.
Alas, good American pizza cannot be found in Singapore.
More reviews to come for the following places:
1) Valentino
2) The Wine Garage
3) California Pizza Kitchen
Stay tuned........
2) The Wine Garage
3) California Pizza Kitchen
Stay tuned........
Country Singer Chicken
One of the few things in life I have learned through having been to so many restaurants is never go to a restaurant that has a name of a famous star, because most probably the star can't cook. And most probably, the star is not cooking the dishes. While I have been to Kenny Rogers countless times since it first opened in Singapore. I didn't know how good it was till I recently went back there again as a last resort. My wife is a huge Kenny Rogers fan. Wait. She is a big fan of Kenny and Dolly together. I have never seen his movies and hardly can recall his songs. I do remember his chicken. We went to the Suntec branch and we ordered the ribs, a quarter chicken, sides of pasta salad, mac & cheese and tons of corn bread. I have to say it is STILL the best corn bread in Singapore without a doubt. I am not from the south like Texas or Louisiana but I know what good corn bread is. This place served the best corn bread.
If you were to ask my wife, this place also had the best mac and cheese. I hate mac and cheese but coming from a person who ate mac and cheese every week in college, she knows what she is talking about. So besides having the best corn bread, it also had the best mac and cheese.
The ribs was disappointing. Like Eve, I thought I was going to have Kenny's ribs in a chicken hut but what I thought was true again. Never go to a steak house to order the tofu burger. In the same way, never go to a chicken place and order ribs. Bad idea.
The chicken was extraordinarily average. I have run out of superlatives to explain average but its mediocre. It's what chicken is. On a good note, my wife thought that Kenny's chicken didn't have the famous "durian," taste like most if not all of the other local chicken had. (Have to love my wife for saying crazy stuff like that)
In any case, as sure as I know about my Liverpool football or my history of rhetoric by Aristotle, I declare Kenny Roger's chicken 2nd best in the chicken chain competition in Singapore!
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