Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Manhattan Fish Market

Since its opening years ago in Singapore, I’ve heard rave reviews about Manhattan Fish Market from my friends. My personal dining experience at the Plaza Singapura branch a few years back, however, wasn’t all that great, a subpar experience marred by mediocre food and lukewarm service.

At that time, Fish & Co., its biggest competitor, seemed indisputably superior (although that statement has to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt since I’m a huge F&C fan). Wanting to give the Market another go, though, I headed down to the Marina Square outlet with my friends. While the prices for the food were competitive, I’d say Fish & Co. still reigns supreme in the Western seafood department.

My friends and I all ordered the pacific dory fish n’ chips, a platter of fried fish that looked like a bang for the buck (only costing about S$9, several dollars cheaper than Fish & Co.’s fish and chips).

Cooked different from Fish & Co.’s signature dish, the Market’s fish n’ chips was deep fried, with a thick shell of crispy golden batter, served with a side of fries. While the initial taste of the fish was flavourful, the overwhelming amount of grease and oil soon resulted in a feeling of bloat, not to mention the resulting guilt at having shoved essentially deep fried flour (which out-volumed the almost two-to-one) down our gullets. The fries were decent but unremarkable, although it has to be said that they were surprisingly oil-free.

The service, though, was much improved since the last time. The service personnel were friendly and attentive and we had constant refills of iced water without even having to ask.

The main draw of the outlet, at least from the viewpoint of a poor student or NS-man, would be the competitive pricing and admittedly, the prices were cheap. On top of the S$9 fish n’ chips, they also had several set meals catered towards students, offering up dishes like fried fish pieces, fried mushrooms and garlic rice at pretty affordable rates (alas, we only spotted the menu for that after it was too late to change our orders).

Still, I’d recommend the food here only for those on a tight budget or who are looking for their deep fried grease fix. For anyone else looking for good Western seafood, I’d advise heading to Fish & Co. instead.

Of course, that’s my opinion from only having tried one dish (albeit one that’s supposed to be highly recommended). How have your experiences at Manhattan Fish Market (this or any other outlet) been? Any particularly outstanding dishes?

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Manhattan Fish Market (Marina Square)
6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square
#02-182 Singapore 039594
(There’re also outlets at Iluma, Plaza Singapura, The Central, White Sands, Junction 8 and North Point)

Tel: +65 6333 9965

ps. Please excuse the low quality of the photos. I had forgotten to bring my camera and so had to rely on a camera phone for the shots.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Instant noodle with imperial pretension

The new Imperial Treasure chain of restaurants competes head-on with those of Crystal Jade, offering similar food choices, price and ambience.

I tried out the Imperial Treasure La Mian Xiao Long Bao (a mouthful of fancy names which basically mean ramen noodle and swee-kow) at Marina Square.

I started with la mian and double boiled chicken. The soup and chicken have a “healthy” taste but the la mian was really bland. I ended up having to add lots of vinegar just to feel that I wasn’t shoving flour down my throat.

My friends, who ordered pork chop with their la mian, said the meat was oily and tasty, which balanced well with the bland noodle.

We also ordered Beijing shui jiao, supposedly one of the star items. While decent, the shui jiao were unremarkable and were nothing compared with those of Crystal Jade. At $16 a head, our meals cost about the same as what we could eat at Crystal Jade.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Imperial Treasure La Mian Xiao Long Bao
6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square #02-138J
Tel: 63382212
Mon-Sun: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm

Monday, November 30, 2009

Unlimited bread at Bakerzin Jurong Point

I’d often heard my friends rave about Bakezin but I’d never actually visited any of the outlets before. So, when I was at Jurong Point last weekend, we saw several promotions and, wanting a good meal to de-stress from our endless exam cramming sessions, we decided to give the new outlet a try.

We picked the all-day $13.80++ set meal, which comes with an unlimited serving of bread, a soup of the day, a main course (for those not happy with the selection there is also a $16.80 version with another list of dishes) and a drink. I chose macaroni with clam in tomato broth, which was the only interesting looking one on the list.

While waiting for the dishes, we helped ourselves to the bread selection, which was pretty good. There was a conveyor belt toaster for the bread, which also came with vinegar and olive oil dips, a refreshing change from the butter and jam of other cafes in this range.

The cream of corn soup came with corn chunks. The taste was OK but the soup was a bit thick to be drunk on its own and performed much better as a bread dip.

The macaroni was disappointing. It had a distinctly homecooked flavour and felt like something any housewife worth her salt could have whipped up in a home kitchen. The soup lacked flavour and the entire dish lacked a certain oomph! With that said, though, the serving of macaroni was hearty and the helping of clams was surprisingly generous.

Overall the food was just decent enough and gave value for money, but it is not for those looking for a great treat.

Review: 3 of 5 stars

Bakerzin Jurong Point
63 Jurong West Central 2
#03-58/59 Jurong Point
Singapore 648886
Tel: 67912155
Sun to Thur: 10.30 am – 10.30pm
Fri , Sat & Eve of PH : 10.30 am – 11.30pm

Saturday, November 28, 2009

It’s the end of the world; what you gonna wish?

So, a few weeks back, I caught the mother of all disaster movies, 2012, a film supposedly based on accurate Mayan prophecies that the world would end in December 2012.

While I thought the film was done in a pretty unrealistic manner (especially considering that the whole premise of the film was that it was supposed to be possible), it did get me thinking about what I’d do if I find out the world was really going to end on 2012. Here’s my list (that I’d probably keep changing and adding to in the remaining three years or so):

1. Throw my education away: I understand the huge value of education and, right now, there’s nothing I’d want more than to get my degree and do it well. But hey, if I’m going to get swallowed up by a tsunami barely a few months after I’ve gotten my cert, there’s not going to be much use for that yeah?

2. Visit the top five places I’ve always wanted to visit: Granted, if the world was announced to be ending, there would definitely be mass mayhem everywhere. Still, I’d want to see some of the most spectacular sights I’ve always dreamt/read about or watched on TV but haven’t gotten a chance to (and provided I could afford it but, when the world is going to end, who cares about savings?). Top of my list? The pyramids in Giza, the Colosseum in Rome and Niagara Falls.

3. Catch up on all the books and TV shows I haven’t had the chance to read/watch: While flying to all the destinations, to maximise my use of time.

4. Learn the guitar: it’s always been a wish of mine to learn to play the guitar and, since it’s supposedly a realistic task that can achieved in a few months, I’d be darned if I didn’t grab one of my many guitar-abled friends to give me some lessons (if they could spare the time while fulfilling their pre-apocalypse wishes, of course).

5. Spend time with my family and friends: Of course, this would be a very standard answer but it’s so true. After all, if the world would end, I’d want to spend it in the company of those I’d enjoy my time most with (and whom I hope would enjoy their times with me too).

6. Write a book: It’s always been a life-long dream of mine and, true, there’d probably be no time for me to get it published or anything (even if any publishing house would want to take me) but I’ll definitely want to at least finish a full book for personal satisfaction.

If the world is really going to end in 2012, what would YOUR wishes be?

Laugh and scream yourself silly in Zombieland

It’s been an unbelievably busy time in school, with my semestral final exams and all. Though my exam period is still on though, I saw a trailer for a movie that I just couldn’t wait to share with you all.

Now, I’ve always been a fan of the horror comedy genre. Though I’m not a big fan of scaring myself silly with real horror movies (which is why I am resolutely staying away from Paranormal Activity, which everyone has been raving about), I’ve always loved having a laugh and, while most horror comedies are kind of slapstick, movies like the Scary Movie series have always had a place in my heart.

Zombieland, which opens in theatres on December 3, looks exciting. The basic premise, or what I can tell from the trailer, is that a zombie apocalypse is coming (a la Dawn Of The Dead) and these two guys, one a cowardly (i.e. normal) teenager and the other a jaded fearless cowboy, have to survive not only the zombie throng but each other.

The jokes have a irreverent, self-satrical, not-very-serious feel to it, which is just how I like my horror comedies. I’ll definitely be checking out Zombieland when it releases (which coincides with the end of my exam period!) and hopefully you will too.

Is there a certain upcoming movie that you’re all excited about? Share it here! premise, or what I can tell from the trailer, is that a zombie apocalypse is coming (a la Dawn Of The Dead) and these two guys, one a cowardly (i.e. normal) teenager and the other a jaded fearless cowboy, have to survive not only the zombie throng but each other.

The jokes, while not terribly highbrow, are pretty amusing and the show seems to have a irreverent, self-satrical, not-very-serious feel to it, which is just how I like my horror comedies. I’ll definitely be checking out Zombieland when it releases (which coincides with the end of my exam period!) and hopefully you will too.

Is there a certain upcoming movie that you’re all excited about? Share it here!

Zombieland trailer can be found here.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Nike Human Race 2009

Last year’s inaugural Nike Human Race was touted as the first worldwide marathon with a million participants in 25 countries. In Singapore, all the 10,000 slots available were snapped up. Having gone for the first run last year (the blog entry of which you can find several pages down), however, I had some complaints.

For instance, giving out the race pack at last year’s race was a nightmare, with the line snaking down Clarke Quay, and the wait lasting a full three hours in the heat. The route was badly planned, leading to bottle-necking along the way and congestions that totally halted the momentum of the runners who had to stop.

This year’s race however, proceeded in a much smoother fashion.

Despite an even faster adoption rate for slots (all 10,000 vacancies were filled within seven days) and late notifications for the race pack collection (the emails only came a few days before the day and the website was abysmally hard to navigate), the collection itself went smoothly, probably due to the fact it was spread over three days instead of two last year and had a much more organised and larger team giving out the packs. Instead of having to wait three hours, I collected my pack in literally under a minute.

The entry price was lower too ($20 for those under 25) and, while the pack did not feature as many vouchers and freebies as last year, the customised t-shirt (with the runner’s individual number printed on it) and the rubber water bottle more than made up for the value.

The race day itself went smoothly too. Admittedly the atmosphere of the crowd was pretty subdued and low-key before the race (much to the chagrin of event MCs Utt and Sonia Couling and the regional live bands performing on the podium, who did their best to raise spirits), probably due to the early start-off time of 7am compared to last year’s 4.30pm but once the run got underway proper, there was generally a cheerful spirit to the event.

The runners, too, seemed different from last year, more concentrated as a whole. While there were several stragglers last year and people who joined just to walk the entire 10km route, most of the runners this year were doing just that - running, and pretty fast too.

The route was modified. The runners took off (and ended) at the Singapore Flyer and F1 Pit building before passing by Kampong Glam, the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Kallang Road before heading back to the starting point to finish off the 10 kilometers.

To top it off, the weather held too, without rains that had plagued different parts of Singapore in the days leading up to the race. In fact, the sun came out slightly too strong, drenching everyone in sweat barely halfway into the run.

Despite the searing heat, however, I enjoyed the run this year more than last. Although I spent much more time walking and socialising with my friends this year (with my final timing taking a huge hit because of that), the race, from the pre-event preparations to the actual run to the post-event bag collections and goodies, was much better organised.

I had a great time and so did, I believe, the other 9,999 runners.

Yorkshire pizza simply the best

Call me a fast-food junkie but I just love pizza. I have to get my regular pizza fix every month, else I suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms (a.k.a. constant cravings). While I’ve been trying out different pizzas from different eating outlets over the past months, I think I’ve finally stumbled on the holy grail of Singaporean pizza.

Ironically, I wasn’t even intentionally looking out for it. Still, the Yorkshire pizza at KPO (which stands for Killiney Post Office, where it is located) the best ever I’ve tasted in Singapore.

The pizza comprises primarily Yorkshire pork, French mustard, basil, garlic and a delightfully thick helping of mozzarella cheese. It has a strong and absurdly hearty amalgamated taste (topped with an appropriate amount of taste-bud tantalizing fragrance) and the thin crust is crispy yet not too hard, providing just enough morsel for the teeth to work on.

At S$25 for a serving that feeds two to three comfortably, it is not cheap but is worth it as an occasional treat.

KPO Cafe Bar
1 Killiney Road
Killiney Post Office

Tel: 67333648

Operating Hours
Mon-Sat: 9.30am-1am
Sun: 10.30am-11pm

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Pendragon

Despite my old age of twenty-two, I’m still a huge fan of teenage and young adult fiction, especially from the fantasy genre. Like most other young adults in Singapore, I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series (although Twilight not so much). With that said, though, there’s another seriously under-marketed young adult series that holds a place in my heart.

The Pendragon series, written by D. J. MacHale, is a ten parter urban fantasy series that is easily my favourite book series of all time.

Set against the backdrop of ten different worlds (or “territories”, as it is known in the books), one of which is earth as we know it, Pendragon tells the story of Bobby Pendragon, a normal American teen who’s visited by his eccentric uncle, Press. Press tells Bobby the truth about his real identity - he’s actually a “traveller”, a group of individuals (one per territory) chosen to guide their home territory and keep it from the evil machinations of Saint Dane, an enigmatic spirit who seeks to destroy all ten territories, known collectively as “Halla”. In fact, he’s the lead traveller, tasked to take charge of the protection process.

Each book in the series takes place primarily on one of the territories, with Bobby travelling to and fro territories via an extradimensional transport tunnel known as a flume. Every book takes the form of journals written by Bobby to his acolytes (his earth-bound helpers) and best friends Mark and Courtney and details his adventures in each territory, meeting with the other travellers and the ways he foils Saint Dane’s plans, gradually leading up to a climatic finish in the last two books.

What makes the series so great is the sheer amount of planning that has obviously gone into the books, with intricate plot twists and well-thought out sequences. All ten books were obviously planned together as several books foreshadow later books while the latter often refer back to hints dropped in earlier books.

While some of the earlier books could be read on their own, it is advisable to go through the books in sequential order to get the full development of the considerable storyline.

Despite the heft of the books (each entry in the series is easily close to 600 pages), I have never had to struggle to finish any of them. MacHale’s writing is concise, exciting and the dialogue is believable and at times snazzy. While some plot developments are pretty predictable, the overall story is engaging and gripping and everytime I get a new book, I’ve had to devour as much of it in one shot as possible and I carried it with me everywhere I went.

So, if you’re still mourning the ending of the Harry Potter or are recovering from the saccharine cheese of the Twilight or are just looking for a good read, why not give this series a try? The final installment, Soldiers of Halla, has just been released so you won’t even have to wait for the entire series to come out (as I had to, excruciatingly). I guarantee you’ll love it.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Korean BBQ Chicken

One of my favourite perks of being a student, other than the no-working part, of course, has to be all the little benefits and discounts we get at various shopping and eating outlets across the islands.

A particular meal I enjoyed in recent times at a student rate was at the Korean BBQ Chicken restaurant at the basement of Cathay Cineleisure. A fried chicken chain from Korea (the BBQ in the title stands for “Best of the Best Quality"), there’s nothing discernibly Korean about the food served there but, at the student promotional prices they’re offering, who’s to complain?

As i was looking for a solid bite but not a huge meal, I opted for the chicken tortilla meal, which comprised of two slices of chicken strips wrapped in tortilla with some lettuce and cucumber, fries and coleslaw on the side and a drink to top it off. While the the tortillas were a tad cold when they reached my table, the chicken was pretty delicious and the fries were fried just right.

And, thanks to the student promotional price, I got the whole set for less than S$8! Definitely worth the price.

One of my friends went for the Korean charboiled chicken set, which he described as decent if not the best he’d tasted and another friend who just wanted a quick bite went for the col-pop, which is a cute cup in which they have popcorn chicken in a slot taking up half a cup and there’s a hole for the straw to access the bottom half, which is filled with a soft drink of your choice.

While the food wasn’t earthshakingly good, it was definitely a decent meal and, coupled with the fact that the service staff were friendly and that the total meal cost us barely $20 on a Friday night in town, Korean BBQ Chicken definitely left a good impression.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (if you’re a student)
3 out of 5 stars (if you’re not)

Korean BBQ Chicken Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
8 Grange Road
#B1-04/05
Singapore 239695
Tel: 6887 3638
Operation Hours
Sun - Thurs & PH - 11:00am - 10:30pm
Fri - Sat & Eve of PH - 11:00am - 11:30pm

The chain also has outlets at NorthPoint, Tampines 1, Downtown East and West Coast Plaza

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2009

My stomach churned when the first rain drops hit the windscreen of the cab, where I was desperately trying to catch some winks for the run. The feeling that I might not need that rest only intensified as I stepped out into a Changi Village that had an ominously overcast sky.

Thankfully, while it did drizzle a little, the weather more-or-less held for the next two hours and made the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2009 a really enjoyable experience.

The run was organised to promote awareness of the Yellow Ribbon project (which aims to rehabilitate ex-convicts into a society that isn’t biased against them), starting from SAF Field at Changi Village, the race route (which came in 5km fun-run or 10km competitive choices) wound through the entire Changi prison complex, passing through landmarks such as Changi Chapel Museum and the Johore Battery before ending up at the new Changi Prison compound.

I was initially hesitant about taking up the race because I hadn’t run a 10km race since last year’s Nike Human Race and was (and still am) terribly out of shape. In the end, however, the prospect of running for a good cause as well as a goal that motivated me to start training led me to join the thousands at the starting point at 7.30am, undeterred by the little specks of rain.

Unlike the Nike race’s disorganised and badly-planned race route (which featured lots of human jams due to bottle-necking paths and horridly-chosen water points), the Yellow Ribbon run’s route was largely spacious and allowed for participants to run at their own pace without worrying about blocking anyone else, although the wildly undulating hills were a bit trying on knees and legs turned wobbly from a sedentary life.

The route itself was an interesting viewing experience and offered up a lot of sights that even Singaporeans would probably never see. There were several times along the way when I actually slowed my pace down to a stroll (not that I needed an excuse, what with strong winds buffeting me and the hills wrecking havoc on my legs) so I could take in the old buildings along the way.

The post-run activities were pretty well done too. Other than a mini-carnival with games, there was also free ice cream from Anderson’s (one of the sponsors), milo for the lucky few who manged to snag it before it was gone and even muffins baked by the convicts themselves. The goodie bag, too, was unexpected hefty for a charity run and included a towel, a cap, an actual yellow ribbon and a huge heavyweight of a finisher plaque.

Overall, I enjoyed the run a lot (despite having had to wake up at an unearthly hour to traipse across the island for it) and it was definitely an interesting viewing experience.

The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2009, organised to raise awareness of the Yellow Ribbon project, consisted of a 10km competitive run and a 5km fun run. The run, which was graced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Mr Teo Chee Hean, started at 7.30am on 6th September 2009.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Sumptous noodles at Crystal Jade Jurong Point

To end off the Jurong Point Chinese restaurants theme that I have been following over the past weeks, my friend and I tried out Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao outlet in the mall. I recalled mentioning on the Din Tai Fung review that the Crystal Jade outlet was probably a better choice for those looking for a good Chinese meal.

Having enjoyed a hearty meal there, I’d have to say I stand with my suggestion then.

We each ordered different types of noodle dishes, my choice being the beef brisket noodle dish.

The presentation of all the food was simple but appetising and every dish looked sumptuous from the get-go. And the tastes sure didn’t disappoint. Other than devouring my own dish, I had a little sample of the different ones my friends had and each dish had its own unique flavour, with high-grade ingredients (the mushrooms were pretty good) and a whole boatload of spices.

Customers could also choose from different noodle types (like at Italian pasta restaurants).

To complement the noodles, we ordered some of the ubiquitous xiao long bao (although off hand I can’t remember the exact flavour we chose), which was adequately tasty,a fried pancake dish which tasted exactly like (very good) roti prata and two roast pork buns, which were great (although Zhou’s Kitchen’s were better).

To top it off, our combined order of over $50 qualified us to order a fish dish for $1 (they have a different item for each day), which was not only really tangy and delicious (although the fish was of pretty low grade), but substantial.

The service at the restaurant was also decent, the service personnel both friendly and informative.

Out of all the Chinese restaurants that I’ve eaten at Jurong Point so far, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao is by far the best in terms of quality, service and even pricing. A definite must-go if you’re in the area.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
1 Jurong West Central 2 #03-18
Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Singapore 648886
Tel: 6790 2212
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 11.30am - 9.45pm
Sat/Sun/PH 11pm - 10.30pm

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Zhou’s Kitchen Jurong Point

I have to confess, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Chinese buffet. Sure, I’ve been to the occasional Chinese restaurant (as you can see from the last post) and I’ve been to several kinds of buffets (Japanese, international, even ice cream) but never a combination of the two.

Still, I have heard nothing but good things about Zhou’s Kitchen, a Chinese buffet restaurant, and I headed down with my friend to the Jurong Point outlet for their tea-time buffet (which runs from 2.45pm to 5pm).

Alas, either this outlet failed to live up to the name or, as in the case of most Jurong Point outlets of restaurant franchises I’ve eaten at, a certain discount in quality has to be given for a suburban mall version.

Firstly, the selection is terrible. Of course, one wouldn’t expect their tea-time buffet to have the whole gamut of dishes like the a la carte dinner buffet (which boasts an impressive menu including Beijing roast duck and chilli crab), but their tea-time menu was lacklustre and certainly didn’t offer as much as the menu online indicates.

Admittedly, their food quality wasn’t bad. The salad bar (which seems an oddly Western concept in execution) had an interesting selection of veges for choice and the dimsum (most especially the open-topped roast pork bun, which is my favourite) was decent. Those looking for a more filling staple meal, however, were out of luck.

Other than serving up some fried noodles and rice (a la any economic bee hoon stall at any coffeeshop), the restaurant didn’t offer anything much in terms of solid meals. True, the timing of this buffet might not be for heavy gorge-out meals but there are people who would eat late lunches or early dinners and it certainly would be a waste if one pays almost $20 and ends up eating $2 noodles.

Like I said, while the food was decent, the actual variety was so dismal that I have effectively tried everything I wanted in two rounds (and those were small rounds, as you can see in the photos, where my plate was barely more than 80% filled). The desserts, too, while pretty, were only a mere handful and, while good, seemed a bit cheap for a full-fledged Chinese restaurant like this.

One dessert to try, however, is their little egg puffs to be drenched in honey. It’s unbelievably tasty and was just about the best part of the meal (other than the roast pork bun).

Once I get to try out the lunch or dinner buffets (with the full selection), I’ll post again with a full review then but, for now, only go for the tea-time buffet if you’re really craving for an unlimited supply of normal everyday Chinese fare.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Zhou’s Kitchen (there’re outlets at Far East Square, Anchorpoint and Square 2 but the one featured in this review is the Jurong Point one and might not be indicative of the rest)
63 Jurong West Central
#03-28 Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Singapore 648331

Tel: +65 6363 1123
Fax: +65 6790 1607

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11:30AM – 2:30PM
Hi-Tea: 2:45PM - 5:00PM
Dinner: 6:00PM - 10:30PM

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Din Tai Fung Jurong Point

I have fond memories of eating at the Din Tai Fung outlet at Paragon. Although I’m not an expert or even a great fan of Chinese cuisine (the usual extent of my Chinese dining being at one of the billions of Crystal Jade outlets islandwide), I loved the fragrant egg fried rice and flavour-packed xiao long baos I had then.

Last week, I paid a visit to the Jurong Point outlet (which opened with the mall’s huge new extension a few months back) and, while the food was decent, it was a pale shadow of what I had eaten then.

While the open-air (well, open within the mall) concept of the restaurant made for an interesting people-gawking environment, the decoration of the outlet as well as the lacklustre presentation of the food (as opposed to the deliciously inviting fare of Crystal Jade) was a bit of a letdown.

The food, despite a bland, slightly uncooked look, turned out to be pretty decent, although nothing much to write home about.

While my friends had mushroom and minced meat noodles, I went for the ham and egg fried rice. I’ll acknowledge that there isn’t much room for creativity with these ingredients and that, given the fact that it was a restaurant and all, the dish was pretty decent and worth the $8 it cost me but any adept housewife could probably have whipped it up at home.

We also tried out their special offer, spicy crab xiao long baos which turned out to be pretty good. The xiao long baos were packed with flavour and the spiciness was bearable even for a spice-phobe like me. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal.

For dessert, we went for the red bean xiao long baos which, true to expectations and despite their dumpling-styled skins, tasted very similar to the Singaporean favourite red bean bao.

Overall, whilst there’s nothing wrong per se with the Din Tai Fung at Jurong Point and it does satisfy those desperate for a Chinese food fix, one could probably get better at the Crystal Jade outlet in the mall.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Din Tai Fung Jurong Point
1 Jurong West Central 2
#B1-70/71 Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Tel: 6861 1811
Operating Hours: 10am-10pm daily

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Uncle Sam’s Claypot

As a national serviceman during the last two years and now as a student, I’m always on the lookout for cheap, good food and just a few days ago, I was wandering around the newly opened CityVibe (a small mall located near Clementi Station, which alas had nothing much of note inside) when I found an eating place that offered such food.

Located in an innocuous corner on the second floor of the building, The Uncle Sam’s Claypot, gramatically-odd sounding name aside, serves up decent food at economical prices.

While the decor is minimal, the outlet is clean and the service is good. The service personnel were all attentive and friendly and the food came at record time (although admittedly there weren’t very many customers when I visited the outlet at lunchtime on a weekday afternoon).

Both my friend and I ordered their house recommendation, a chicken claypot dish that, while not the best claypot I’ve taken, was nonetheless pretty good. The chicken was chewy but not overly so, the spices used were flavorful but not overwhelming, the vege was adequately leafy and the rice was soft and had the requisite hard bits stuck to the pot.

While the dishes here are affordably priced for most of the usual work crowd, with dishes going for around $5 to $6 each and desserts going for less than $3, the real bargain here is for students.

For less than $7 (and that’s inclusive of GST and service charge), students get a lunchtime combo meal consisting of the claypot I mentioned above, a fruit punch as well as an ice kachang dessert.

The ice kachang, while again not the best I’ve tasted, was sweet and refreshing (not to mention rather large in serving size) and, despite an odd-tasting salty corn ingredient, the rest of the dessert was bite-inviting and provided a fine end to the meal.

The food at The Uncle Sam’s Claypot may not be for the true claypot connoiseurs but for those who are looking for good food at cheap prices, look no further than this shop.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

The Uncle Sam’s Claypots
02-11/12 CityVibe, 3151 Commonwealth Avenue West
Tel: 6778-3088
Open: 11am to 10pm daily

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Arirang Korean Restaurant

Ever since the demise of the popularity of the Seoul Garden franchise (although it apparently still has five outlets now, at its peak it was the ubiquitous food hangout for Singaporeans of all ages), Korean buffet-style BBQ restaurants haven’t had much success locally.

While I generally much prefer Japanese cuisine, the surprising quality of the Shilawon Restaurant that I blogged about a while back had softened my palate to Korean food in general and thus, when my friend suggested we try out another Korean BBQ, I readily agreed.

Located amongst the sea of eating outlets at Liang Seah Street, Arirang Korean Restaurant is a nondescript little restaurant that had little customers on the Saturday afternoon when we visited (when Bugis has what seems to be a billion people walking around in it).

It was a pity, though, because Arirang actually has pretty decent food at equally decent prices (a lunch buffet on a weekend only set us back about S$20 each).

Decorated minimally, the restaurant has a homely feel to it and the dishes, while I can’t say I’ve actually eaten fare from Korea cooked by Koreans, certainly tasted more traditional and authentic than the decidedly local selection at Seoul Garden.

The banchan (or set of small dishes) that opened the meal was simple but definitely got our tastebuds going. The omelette and long bean dishes, in particular, were excellent.

The buffet menu has a selection of both raw ingredients for our own cooking as well as some cooked dishes. The cooked dishes were all pretty good, with the ginseng soup delectable (and with just the right amount of herbal taste for me), the pancakes a tasty (if greasy) alternative to rice as a staple and the bibimbap (a rice bowl with mixed ingredients) was tops.

Take care, though, not to go for their “Japanese” part of the menu (which is a paltry four to five dishes anyway and is quite misleading with its inclusion in the shopfront menu). The sushi we sampled were cold and flat, with nary any oomph in both texture and taste.

Of course, at such a buffet, the meat of the matter (excuse the pun) is in the raw ingredients and here the restaurant doesn’t disappoint neither. The meats we ordered (chicken and beef, mostly) were thinly sliced and tasty and were easily condimented with the whole range of sauces we were provided.

The meal is topped off with the restaurant’s sourplum tea which has a decidedly herbal aftertaste. While I found it a bit harsh on my tastebuds and stopped after half a cup, my friend couldn’t stop lapping it up and asked for repeated refills.

While Arirang Korean restaurant might not be the be-all-end-all of Korean cuisine on our sunny island, it definitely is worth a shot.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Arirang Korean Restaurant is located at 1, Liang Seah Street #01-08/09. For more information or to place reservations, call 6333-0025.