Ramen Royal Rumble Pt 2 Pt 2

So we went back to Yoshimaru when we taught we would never do it.

What did I learn?

Terriyaki burger was decent enough but why was is so small?

Garlic noodles were "garlicy," enough.

I didn't know that the menus, when you put them together formed the 10 commandments on the reverse side!

Yakader Muslim Food - Tekka Market

I love Nasi Briyani and since I had a meeting around the area, I had to try to eat at Tekka Market, for the 1st time in my life. Yes, Singaporeans, I have not eaten here before. I was looking around and finally sat in front of the store and ordered the Nasi Briyani.

My army training has taught me how to blend in with the locals and through my avatar, I understood what the people around me were eating and I have to say this, after I saw the police officer order 10 packets of Nasi Briyani from the store. I was certain.

That I ordered from the wrong store. I should have gone 4 stores down to Hannifa instead.

Lesson learnt.

Cacio E Pepe Italian Restaurant

I want to support the local businesses. I now live in an area where there are no good Italian food. What do I do? I go online and do a thorough search and here it is. I present to you Cacio E Pepe Italian Restaurant.

Tucked, or more like, hidden away by the massive road construction around the area, we find the restaurant with relative ease between a small coffee shop and a convenient store in a small stretch of shops, I was surprised.

The first rule of any food business is location. So if the location of the restaurant is relatively difficult to find, the food has to be good. We showed up on a Sunday around 9pm and the restaurant was still full. Impressed, we found a table and I took a peak around the tables to see what they were having.

We ordered the risotto, seafood pasta, and a pizza, and a coke. Bill was $80.

I have no gripes with the price but I do have some gripes.

I don't know if a neighborhood restaurant serving Italian food should be charging that much per plate. I didn't think that the risotto or the seafood pasta was nothing I couldn't make myself, and the pizza was above average. Now, I have been to many Italian restaurants and I have paid more money for a plate of pasta than this but I am questioning the satisfaction and cost quotion here.

I might go back again if I am in the mood, and the lady that served us was extremely polite and nice to us. But I don't know if the food is good enough. Obviously I might be wrong about this restaurant because they obviously had a good crowd and a decent rating for the local site for people who I suspect don't know good food even if it hit them in their face, but I left the restaurant questioning what I just had, which is never a good sign.

I am holding on my judgement for now but I hope I will change my mind.

Sea Hag Patong

I have been to Phuket many times since I was a child and I have always enjoyed the food, the people and the tourists. Going back again recently after a couple of years, it brought back memories of a simpler life.

I did a quick research for food and we headed to the Sea Hag at Patong beach and I have to say I was really surprised by how good the food was. Not that Thai food in Phuket was bad, its just that there is always a tendency when you go to a tourist spot, its less likely to have more authentic local food.

Jelly and I were pleasently surprised by the quality of the food and service. Food took a while and its filled with tourist (which I was initally suspicious as this was the No. 1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor) but overall, I would recommend the restaurant to any one looking to take the first step towards thai food.

Ramen Royal Battle Part 2 : Yoshimaru @ Holland Village

I was recommended Yoshimaru by a colleague of mine. I shall name him Evil E. He lives around the area and he has suggested to me on various occasions that Yoshimaru was better than Ippudo. Since Anthropology had a closing sale, why not? 2 stones, 1 bird and some ramen?

Disguised in the upmarket locale of Holland Village sits Yoshimaru. Opened by the seafood restaurant conglomerate Jumbo Seafood, I questioned if my Evil E was correct.

It is a small and simple Ramen bar. Wooden like furnishings with white light. You order the ramen, Jelly and I just ordered the traditional Hakata ramen and a DIY Ramen with Char Siew and Egg with sliced radish and the need to pound some sesame seeds to help enhance the taste of the ramen and verdict?

Those eggs were the best eggs I have had yet in a ramen store. Called "soft boiled eggs,' (actually its between a hard boiled egg and a soft boiled egg with a harder exterior compared to a gooey core but I digress). I give the edge to Ippudo for the broth. Service, can't really be compared because Yoshimaru is very much smaller and the noodles were a push for both (a draw).

I can see why some people like this place. And I think if I'm in the area and want to eat Ramen, I would not hesitate to drop by. Sorry Sushi Tei.

Loved: Eggs:
Hated: Pounding the sesame. It was too much fun that it made me hyper ventilate.

Ginza Barin at Ion

Yes, its true. I do hate Ion but I still frequent this particular mall because its there. One cannot avoid it like the pink elephant along Orchard Road. Jelly and I were shopping for things we couldn't afford at Ion and we were hungry. We wondered through the several levels of crowdedness, and mind numbing amount of stores and we stumbled upon Ginza Barin. When I say stumbled, I actually mean the store was near the escalator.

We wanted some meat and rice and Katsu Don obviously satisfies both the criterias. The service was prompt as one has to queue up and order the food outside the restaurant and then take a number and choose a table for the food to be served. I'm not a hybrid kind of guy but I think sometimes business owners have to decide on whether to charge the customers a service charge or not because I don't understand why one would want to make a customer line up outside the store, pay for the service charge and then walk into the seating area and wait for the food to be served.

How was the food? I quite liked it actually. I didn't like the lining up outside.

Man Fu Yuan - Intercontinental Hotel

I was concerned by the lack of customers. It's just before Chinese New Year and a Chinese restaurant is empty! What? We were surrounded by tourists, and some locals. (Isn't that like everywhere in Singapore)

Service was good. Food was good. Jelly and I really digged the soup of the day, the double boiled pork and melon soup. Ha Kaw and Char Siew Bao were fresh. The Siew Mai and Shanghai dumplings were lovely. The only thing that got me was the custard bun which of course my wife Jelly loves and I didn't. The egg tarts were styled in a way that I didn't appreciate but still tasty none the less.

Why I will not come here again: Its quite tough to get to because it is hidden in some obscure corner and the food is good but do I really have to pander to my Chinese roots in Bugis Junction when I know that Arab street, and all that lovely Indian Muslim food is around the corner?

Why I will come here again: We came to Man Fu Yuan because honestly, Hua Ting was fully booked. Sigh. I think this would be a good place to have peaceful, good Tim Sum without the rush and the crowd.

Paulaner Brahaus

Paulaner Brahaus has been around for a long time and since a friend of mine needed to vent outside the office. What better reason to have beer! ( I don't really like drinking beer but occasionally when I have to, I do.)

Lets get some facts straight. I like beer like I like my women, tall, blonde and bubbly, makes you dizzy after after a few pints and you can only have so much of it, that's why I married one. (Wink)

At the same time, I also like my sausages, long, short, spicy, anything buy cheesy sausages. They're gross.

So why am I not German you might think?

I don't know really.

Paulaner - Worth a pint!

Beginning of Ramen Battle Royale: Ippudo.

Welcome to my reviews of Ramen stores and first up Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery. This place was "highly," recommended by local food writer Wong Ah Yoke for the Sunday Times but I never really believe him, just like I never believed a man landed on the moon, hey, if Hollywood can create Avatar, they can create anything right?




Things I didn't like about the restaurant, something totally irrelevant to the food. Our dear friend Pampadam Pam was early and helped line up before me and Jelly got there. As you can tell, the line is long. So get ready to wait.

Second thing I didn't like about the place: Why use all this colored bowls? Seriously? ( I just made this excuse up. I really loved the bowls!)

Last thing that I hated: The restaurant is very small, so its always going to look crowded.

The 5 pictures above are reason why I liked Ippudo. We ordered the cucumber, and Japanese green tea, the Tonkatsu Ramen, Mushroom Ramen and Soya Ramen with egg respectively. I love the soup. The soup has depth and complexity. As we sat along the counter, we can tell that the broth is freshly made and prepared for each order. And surprisingly, all 3 bowls of Ramen were lovely.

I highly recommend this place BUT some people have suggested to me that the service can be alittle wanting, and I do agree to a certain extent but if you can ignore that, the proof is in the broth.

Max Brenner's @ Vivo

Evil never dies. Sounds like a Bond movie. But its not. No suggestive secondary character name here except a license to shill.

We ordered the chocolate cookie, and chocolate shakes. Clearly stirred and not shaken, the shakes were clearly missing something. Something really important and ironic. Yes, chocolate.

Why did I even come here?

Sentosa Resort World

How do I put this review in words in 3 words or less?

Disappointing.

A let down.

Ray Charles Decoration.

Really?

Horrible Service.

Terrible Food.

Really?

I Don't Gamble.

Parking Lot?

Really?

Trap!

Universal Studios?

Really?

Extra Taxi Charge.

Beware!

Really?

Wow!

You're Welcome.