Ever ate something that evokes childhood memories and memories of every other moment you hold dear?

Taking a taste of the Seng Kee Herbal Chicken Soup was an experience like this - and it was brought over for pot luck at home! Everyone attacked the food and this was the first to be finished, with friends gnawing on every bone, eating up every bit of cartilidge. The herbs were in perfect proportion and I enjoyed the flavour of Tang Kwei which did not overpower the entire dish.

Everyone asked where this was bought from, and the answer was Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken. We were curious - this is not black chicken!

My friend explained that besides black chicken, Lee Seng Kee ( Owner of Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken at Bedok, 511 Bedok North Street 3#01-31/32 Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre
Singapore 460511 ) also has a mean dish of fresh red snapper, prawns and mee sua. She brought over only items that didn't get cooked with pork and lard as we have a muslim friend at the potluck party.

My girlfriend, Singapore's premier female emcee Shandy Tan, enjoyed the burger with a tall glass of French beer, the Kronenbourg Blanc 1664. It was a match made in heaven, with the citrusy beer being a refreshing accompaniment to the big juicy 180gm beef burger with cheese.

We also had a healthy salad that was refreshing and a great appertiser - Kale drizzled with a wasabi yuzu dressing. But I digress! Back to the delicious burger, which I had the pleasure of watching Chef Azlie put together.

If you want more vegetable in your diet, get the Kale Salad at $9++! It comes tossed with a wasabi yuzu dressing that wasn't oily - it was refreshing and served with "beautified" orange wedges and grilled chicken, it is a verifiable meal on its own if you don't feel like eating meat. Kale is full of antioxidants, vitamin A, C and K! It also provides a lot of calcium and fibre for strong bones and good digestion. I actually asked why Chef Azlie served Kale Salad instead of the normal rocket or mesclun mix, and he said Kale is one of the super vegetables that is really good for health! If you google "Kale", you would see all the health benefits!

The garlic bread with hand chopped garlic made fresh daily with parsley is also fabulous, and it goes well with the Asahi Black, going at $9++ per pint. The garlic bread is $6++ for eight huge pieces and it is great for sharing.

King & Barrels has an Asian section on their menu as well, and I can't wait for their next food tasting!

When I was invited to the tasting for the Valentine's Day menu at Kings & Barrels, I was pretty surprised, as this relatively new setup was known for the cheap drinks (Imagine draft beer, Asahi Super Dry and Asaha Black at $9 a pint) and standard fried finger food. They had taken over Shui Gastro Lounge in December, revamping the menu as well as drinks list.

I was amazed at the appertizer that greeted me when I arrived, and asked if they have hired a new Chef. It turns out that Chef Azlie has just joined Kings & Barrels as Executive Chef.

Chef Azlie was one of the featured Chefs in World Gourmet Summit in 2014, he was the executive chef at the now defunct fine French dining restaurant, Fatien and had previously worked with Michelin Starred chef, Jean Francois Paige at 1-Altitude. He was also executive chef at middle eastern restaurant Cafe Le Claire for 9 years till they closed due to the Shisha ban.

With more than 20 years of cooking experience and more than 10 years as executive chef, I was looking forward to the rest of the three course Valentine's Day menu at Kings & Barrels created by Chef Azlie.

Next, I got to try both main courses that diners will have to choose one of. How lucky am I! For this Valentine's Day 3 course meal, diners get to choose either the chicken or the sea bass.

I was was enjoying the cool breeze from the Singapore River and couldn't help but think how romantic it will be at night, with all the lovely lights as the bum boats sail past. What a sight!

I also love their swing chair and wooden tables - they also have a smoking section with outdoor seats that are big and comfortable.

Now, back to the food! The seabass on leek fondue was served next. One bite and I fell in love instantly... with the creamy leek fondue. This is Chef Azlie's signature dish, and I would highly suggest having this if you like fish.

Sweetness of the baby carrots with the crunch of the fine French beans was a match in heaven - coupled with the soft sweet onions and grilled potatoes, the leek fondue with ebiko sauce it was paired with made the whole experience, sublime.

Here's another closeup shot you can drool at!

Finishing the sea bass was the hardest thing to do, as I didn't want this lovely main course to end. Every bite filled me with delight and I was literally eating with shivers down my spine with every other mouthful.

Next, I took a taste of the other choice of main course. Equally good!

Tender chicken French styled on a bed of sesame cream spaghetti delighted and dazzled with a touch of sautéed onions. Another flavourful dish that pleased. Only wish was that it had more garlic, as I love garlic!

Here is another angle so you can see the plate design better! Looking at it again made me wish I could go back down to Kings & Barrels right now for another serving!

Finally, it is time for the dessert. This has to be the best Panna Cotta I have tasted! And I have tasted a whole lot of Panna Cotta! Most of them are firm like a pudding, but this Baileys infused Panna Cotta is the real deal - soft, wobbly and creamy.

Baileys infused Panna Cotta was poetry, and the contrast of the soft creaminess of the Panna Cotta with the dark chocolate soil gave a warm fuzzy feeling that was both familiar and foreign all at once. The crunch of the chocolate soil with the soft Panna Cotta was too delicious! Without being too sweet, this dessert ends the meal beautifully.

​Chef Azlie's French cooking background is all too apparent in this lovely dessert that was just perfect.

So what's my verdict?

Romantic venue with a tasty menu to match. Sweet beginnings for an exciting night with low cost drink prices to match.

Kings & Barrels
Tel: +65 6225 9388
Add: The Central @ Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Seng St, #01-15
Singapore 059817

Valentine's Day Menu 2017
at $45++ per person, inclusive of a glass of red or white wine.

Appetizer
Salmon
Tartare with melon, yuzu dressing,
bread cracker and petit salad

Entrée
Landes Chicken
Herb roasted with spaghetti and japanese
sesame cream sauce
OR
Seabass
Pan seared on the bed of leek fondue,
baby carrots, sarladaise potato

Dessert
Panna Cotta
Baileys scented with strawberry compote
and chocolate soil
​

Hover over the photos to read the comments - can you guess my favourite dish?

The whole meal of 3 main courses and 1 latte came up to $65.27. There is no service charge, just GST. I also loved the fact that they had huge containers of water for customers to get their own water from - drink as much as you like! It's responsible of them, especially when they are serving alcohol.

So where is The Tuckshop and The Recess? Depending on where you are standing, you could be either at Geylang or at Guillemard Road! 

Check out the parking options - there are 300 lots just across the road at HDB parking rates. If you are heading over via MRT, Dakota MRT station is just a 5 minute walk.

The Tuckshop
http://www.thetuckshop.com.sg
403 Guillemard Road, Singapore 399795
Tel: +657448205

So where is The Tuckshop and The Recess? Depending on where you are standing, you could be either at Geylang or at Guillemard Road! 

Check out the parking options - there are 300 lots just across the road at HDB parking rates. If you are heading over via MRT, Dakota MRT station is just a 5 minute walk.

The Tuckshop
http://www.thetuckshop.com.sg
403 Guillemard Road, Singapore 399795
Tel: +657448205

After microwaving for 7 mins, the black pepper crab is ready. The taste is exactly like that which is served in the House of Seafood, and this is one of the most famous dishes that they are known for. Receiving awards for this dish, the peppery aroma is addictive - remember to check your teeth for black bits of pepper after eating the crab  though, there are bound to be some! The texture of the crab was fantastic - they managed to seal in the sweetness and smoothness of the flesh for this dish. Truly remarkable!

For the Salted Egg Crab, it took about 8 - 10 mins for the whole microwaving process. Slightly spicy because of the little red chili padi, the hint of curry leaves left a lovely whole mouth feel with the salted egg which was not salty at all. In fact, it was a little sweet, which pretty much surprised my palate. The texture of the flesh however, was a little dry and stringy, akin to the Alaskan crab legs I love. Perhaps it could be improved by having more sauce, so that the crab is "protected" from the flash freezing. The claw itself was, however, meaty and the texture was to the bite. This led me to think that the crab must be smothered in more sauce to preserve the flesh properly. Do also note that the crab was chopped into pieces, but the claws are left intact - you need to prepare your own crab mallet to crack the shell.

For this dish, they added more sauce than what was in the box. I felt that I would have preferred to just taste it exactly like how it would be served out of the pack, as it would have been better represented. The taste and amount of egg white in the sauce was addictive, and the texture of the crab was pretty much preserved. However, I am unable to comment much about whether the sauce that it is frozen with will be enough when you serve it out of the box.

Buffet lovers who enjoy crab legs will definitely rush down to this amazing buffet restaurant filled with sashimi, oysters, creative sushi and of course, their Alaskan crab legs!

Do you know the fastest way to get the crab out of the shell? There is a secret to it, and once you learn this technique, you will be able to eat as many crab legs as you can in record time!

Watch and share this video if you think it is amazing!

If you watch carefully, you will see that the second cut of the scissors does not go all the way, hereby allowing you to have a "handle" to hold the crab as you pull it out.

Todai is located at Marina Bay Sands, and is the buffet "To DAI" for! From time to time, they also have special promotions like strawberry dessert time, or crab madness or seafood delight. Call ahead to find out what they are having next!

I have a gallery of food found there and you can check out just some of what you can find!

Baked Fresh upon your order at Offshore Club (YES! I came back again, for the third time....the food is great, the service is wonderful, and Leona constantly surprises with new food on the menu!) This salted caramel lava cake is so delicious and eggy that I couldn't get enough! Warm and buttery, served with a fabulous french vanilla ice cream, the pairing is perfect and the secret ingredient added by the Chef takes the cake literally! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this, and I'm so glad that Offshore Club in Loyang is putting this on their menu!

It's un-un-un-unbelievable, but I still had room for Coffee! With the FREE WIFI at the Offshore Club in Loyang, I was bunkering down to do serious work that day, and the Wifi speed was fast enough for my massive uploads of videos!

So who's Bob Lee and why are his rice burgers so amazingly delicious?

Apparently, the franchise fee for the Bob Lee franchise is only USD12,000, and the space needed to operate a Bob Lee burger is just 30 Sqm! All you need is space for the huge rice cooker, the rice moulding machine, preparation area and containers for the fillings.

It is really easy to make a one minute hot sandwich. I usually make the sauce and pack the microwavable boxes once so I can just make the sandwiches everyday if i wanted to. The sauce is made using pasta sauce and tuna with minced meat. The whole loaf of bread goes into five boxes, one for each day. Place your mouse over the photo below to see the instructions appear.

Finding the restaurant was easy, it's at the Royal Plaza on Scotts, and you can either enter through the private life on the side closer to Shaw Center or via the red carpeted opulent stairs at the hotel lobby. Walking up and turning to the left, I found Gion Dining easily but decided to head to the bathroom to quickly freshen up first. The bathroom was beautifully done up, fit for royalty, I thought. It wasn't till later that I found out that there is a princess's suite in the hotel, and the princess would stay at the hotel each time she visits Singapore. I'm keeping mum about the country though. Located at such a beautiful place known for their amazing Halal buffet restaurant, I wondered if Gion Dining is Halal certified too. 

After speaking to the owner, I was surprised to learn that Gion Dining was the top favourite of stars and politicians in Beijing since 1996, and it was THE place to go if you wanted to entertain your guests there in China. It was one of the first few Japanese restaurants there too, with founder and Head Chef Mr Mino. She moved to Singapore and started Gion Dining here, renovating and setting up the huge restaurant at the tune of more than a million dollars. (Imagine their alfresco seating area is more than 3000sqft!)

I arrived at 5.30pm and didn't start ordering till nearly an hour later as I was so excited meeting my old friend Louisa who's a consultant at Gion, and she entertained me with stories about the challenges they met while creating a 200 dish menu which is strictly Halal. (They are waiting for their license at the moment.) Making Japanese food Halal is extremely difficult, as they are not allowed to use Sake nor Mirin nor any other ingredients containing alcohol of any kind, besides the usual no pork and no lard policy. I couldn't wait to order and taste their food, and even though their menu is on the ipad, the waitress would usually wait for your order and explain the menu items if they are not running at full house. I've taken some shots of the menu so you can check it out before heading down. However, their menu is also available online at www.giondining.com

So what did I order? I love checking out how good and how authentic a Japanese restaurant is by ordering items that are not easy to prepare / items that look easy but are hard to deliver.

I finally made it to the grilled section, and there are still loads to explore. By now, I have eaten so much over a course of 5 hours of inspiring conversation that I really couldn't take another bite. I really surprised myself when the first mouthful led to yet another, as they were just too delicious! The scallop and cod ensemble is a fabulous duo paired with potato salad, and the juicy grilled prawns butterflied in their mayonnaise blanket that was lightly torched were just the stuff food dreams are made of.

Throughout the course of conversation, I found out that the 80 year old Japanese chef who is one of the founders of Gion Dining came to Singapore where he stayed for a few months to create a whole new genre of authentic and fusion Japanese food - Halal Japanese dining using ingredients that are able to replicate the taste of using alcohol in Japanese cooking. Initially thought to be easy - (they first thought that all they needed was just needed to eliminate the pork dishes) the endeavour to obtain a Halal certificate was a whole lot more difficult. From not being able to soak the liver in sake, to not using sake nor mirin in staples like sushi rice and Chawanmushi, I would say that they have managed to successfully recreate and innovate a new genre - Halal Japanese Food. Muslim and non-Muslim friends out there now have the option to eat in a lovely, exclusive Japanese Restaurant and entertain their friends and clients in a charming, quiet environment.

Gion Dining
Add: 25 Scotts Rd, #02-01
Royal Plaza on Scotts,
Singapore 228220
Tel: 6735 6100
Mon: 17:30–21:00
Tues - Sun: 11:30–14:00
                        17:30–21:00


Please note that their head chef and some serving staff are off on Mondays, so if you would like to have the full experience of dining at Gion Dining, do make a reservation any other day. 

They are available for private dining requests in their VIP Tatami Rooms that have hosted Royalty and VVIPs from all over the world, and do let them know your budget for each person so they can create a customized menu.

What do you need? An egg and what else?

All you need is a microwaveable cup!

Break an egg into the cup, put it in the microwave for 30s (if you like runny yolk, 20s) and you get a perfect "fried" egg without using oil or butter! The timing may vary with different microwave ovens, so be sure to start with 20s till you get the doneness you like.

Another tasty appetiser would be the cucumber with the chef's homemade miso and honey sauce, also known as Kyuri. The pairing of fresh crunchy cucumber with the slightly salty miso sauce was simply heavenly. I also especially liked the crunchy mini crabs, fried to absolutely crispness, as it made it easy to eat up the entire crab.

Some hits that are especially memorable:

• BBQ Lamb
• Uzura Tamago (Quail's Eggs)
• Butabara Miso
• Tomato Maki
• Enoki Maki

The tomato Maki has cherry tomato that bursts in your mouth, sweet and flavourful, while the Pork with Miso sauce kind of reminds me the Mentaiko sauce for some strange reason. Super yummy even though I've had so much food already. MUST Try the Quail's Eggs if you are into eggs, and the best deal would be their Yakitori set where you are able to choose any 5 favourites for just $13! Enoki Maki is an all time crowd pleaser, and here at Yorimichi, they make really big pork rolls with enoki mushroom.

I will definitely be back again for more lovely Japanese food on the way home, and this place is named really aptly - Yorimichi ( A Stop on the way home). Here you can walk in alone and come out having gotten to know someone - people here are really friendly and they love sharing stories. Some come by to work on their computers, but do be informed that they do not have Wifi available as of yet. Everyone seems to be asking the staff to charge their phones, and the Yorimichi seems equipped with every kind of phone charger! Do check out the photos of the place and menu photos below!

Yorimichi Yakitori
Tel: 62995812
6001 Beach Road, #01-02, Golden Mile Tower
Singapore 199589

When my friend told me about Offshore Club, nothing would have prepared me for the actual experience. Set in an industrial estate, it has Western and Local fare that is prepare ala minute by Chef Victor Tan, who had extensive experience working in the States. It wasn't easy to find the place, but the satisfaction of finally finding it and the tasting of the fabulous food makes it all worthwhile! 

For those looking for the place, the address!

• Loyang Offshore Supply Base. 

• 25 Loyang Crescent, Blk 103A TOPS Avenue 1, #09-01,

• Singapore 508988

Click on read more for more photos and a longer review!

It can comfortably sit about 100 people at any one time, and there is more space at the alfresco area too, except that right now, it is a bit too sunny and hot for alfresco seating. In the evening, the breeze is very pleasant, and you get lovely views of the skies too!

Did I mention that the food is cafe priced but tastes and looks like fine dining? The service here is just amazing too, with the hostess with the mostest entertaining us with her funny takes on life and her child. She really makes one feel at home, and Elvis *rocking always!* her husband as the F & B manager is well experienced with more than 15 years of managing food and alcohol joints under his belt.

I love talking and asking questions, and both Leona and Elvis were so kind as to answer...and answer....and answer! There were so kind as to let me have a photo with the chef too, as I had to go and compliment him on the excellent food and plating. 

Plating, to me, is a work of art. The chef, in placing the food on the plate, creates a work of art which is appreciated by the diner, and if the taste complements the look, it makes for the perfect meal. Which I had, surprisingly, today.

Chef Victor at the Offshore Club believes in using the best ingredients and the most aromatic herbs in his cooking. Used to serving in the States, his portions are American sized too. You've seen the rack of lamb I had earlier - check out the rest!

The decor of the Offshore Club is really quirky, with items from the oil rigs given a new lease of life as decor in the Offshore Club. Can you tell that the base of the lamp is made from a drill found on the rig?

The packaging is quite similar, I wonder who created the white curry noodles first! I did a search on Ah Lai, and realized it is marketed under Fa.E.Fa ( Fa Yi Fa! ), but the main company is Nam Seng. To find out who created the noodles first, I checked out their Halal Certs ( It was the easiest way to check as there was no information about Ah Lai anywhere online. ) MyKuali came first, followed by Ah Lai, as seen in the later expiry date of Ah Lai's halal certificate.

For the full review with pictures, click read more!

Verdict: I prefer Ah Lai's White Curry Noodles to MyKuali, as eaten side by side, the difference is very evident. Ah Lai's White Curry tastes like real curry, and it has this whole mouth feel that lasts for the next hour or so, with bits of lemongrass stuck on your teeth. MyKuali is alot saltier, and it feels like the powdered curry that it is. However, noodles from MyKuali had a better texture which felt like a good Ramen, while noodles from Ah Lai were soft and slightly soggy. 

Annabelle preferred the noodles from MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle with the curry from Ah Lai. I felt Ah Lai's White Curry Noodles were better, as I like soft noodles swimming in creamy curry, Sedap! Also, the sight of red chili oil floating on top of the MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodles was quite scary compared to the creamy yellow of Ah Lai's White Curry Noodles.

Now where can you get it? You can now order both online, at their respective sites!

Ah Lai's White Curry Noodles
MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodles

After looking at so many of my friends post about the MyKuali White Curry Noodle with the Natural Ingredients, I decided to get a pack too. It comes in a pack of 4, costing $4.50 at Cold Storage. Apparently, it is the latest and yummiest instant noodle, sold out in Malaysia, with hordes rushing around buying up cartons and snapping them off the supermarket shelves!

Woke up one early morning feeling really hungry, so I decided to make both the MyKuali Penang White Curry and my favourite Nissin Chilli Crab Cup Noodles, and have them face off in a taste challenge. Yes I know, they are totally different, but Chilli Crab Flavour is my absolute favourite! Can the MyKuali instant noodles take over my Nissin Cup Noodles as my absolute favourite?

Looking at the packaging, I was pretty excited about the Penang White Curry Noodle - it claims to have natural ingredients in the Chili Paste and I couldn't wait to taste it. The total time it took for me to make the noodles, however, was not 3 or 4 mins, but a total of near 11mins. Why? 

I boiled the water ( 3mins ), but the noodles in to the boiling water, waited another 3mins for the noodles to soften and be ready for the seasoning. When I opened the seasoning pack, I expected to see some bits of dried vegetables or prawns or something, but it was just fine slightly yellow powder. The non-dairy creamer was fine and white, and I stirred it into the still boiling hot water. ( I had switched the induction cooker off already. ) Opening the pack of chili required me to find a knife as it was near impossible to tear open, and that took some time. 

When I first opened the pack of chili, I was very happy to smell the distinct shrimp in the chili, and it took about a minute for me to stir in and get all the seasonings and paste nicely dissolved. Click on Read more for more photos and the verdict!

Finally, the noodles were poured into a bowl, and the curry noodles looked soft and yet springy, with the thick curry coating every strand beautifully. I would have loved to have some bits of ingredients for some texture, but the smell of the curry was enough to make up for the lack of bits of shrimp or vegetable. In fact, my room was smelling like curry for the next half an hour, and it felt like I did some real cooking!

So what was inside the noodles?

Ingredients of Noodles:
Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Salt, Permitted Food Conditioner (Potassium Carbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose).

Ingredients of Chili Paste:
Onion, Garlic, Chili, Curry Powder, Spices, Shrimp Paste, Seasoning Powder, Flavour Enhancer (E621)m Sugar, Salt & Palm Oil.

Ingredients of Seasoning Powder:
Seasoning Powder, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Sugar & Salt.

Ingredients of Creamer:
Non-dairy Creamer

Made in Malaysia

Nissin is a Japanese company with its Asian Headquarters in Singapore since 1971 - in fact, it was the first company in Singapore to manufacture instant noodles. Since then, Nissin has created many amazing flavours, with local favourites as inspiration.

My ultimate favourite is the chili crab, as it is spicy, tasty and most importantly, reminds me of the real chili crab with noodles.

I also like the morsels of crabstick and vegetables that added a bit of texture and taste to the noodles. Total time it took me to prepare the cup noodle was just 5mins - 2 mins to boil the water ( Less water is needed ) and 3 mins for the noodles to be perfect. It saves so much time, as you don't have to do much, the seasoning has already been packed with the noodles, and the packet of chili was easy to tear open.

Ingredients: 


Noodles: Wheat flour, palm oil (antioxidants [304, 306]) 

Chilli paste:  Palm oil, spices, fish, oyster extract, sesame oil, shrimp, preservative [211]), tapioca starch, sugar, salt, dehydrated egg (contains lactose), fishcake (fish, corn starch, crab flavour), flavour enhancers (621, 635), dehydrated vegetables (chilli, spring onion, coriander leaves), acidity regulators (330, 501, 500, 451, 450), soya sauce (soya, wheat, salt), chicken extract, thickener (415), colours (160a, 150c, 150a, 120), stabilisers (412, 1400, 340, 414, 420), anticaking agents (535, 536).

Made in Thailand.

The Great Taste Test!

In conclusion, I think they both taste really good, and even better when mixed together! The curry is super spicy ( to me ) and I had to keep drinking water. Being a pretty busy and lazy person, I prefer the cup noodle as I don't need to wash any bowls nor pots, and it takes a much shorter time to prepare with more interesting bits that are fun to chew.

If I had time and wanted to take the effort of cooking, I would probably choose the MyKuali Penang White Curry and add extra ingredients to make it taste even better. I was curious how the real Penang Curry Noodles look like, so here it is, with a list of Penang White Curry Stalls to go to when you get to Penang!

Alot of friends have been wondering where to buy the MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodles, so I've embeded the facebook posts in which my friends have reported stocks of it below. Just click on the comments!

Despite its obscure location in the middle of a industrial estate at Block 27 Sin Ming Road (behind Block 26), #01-174, Sin Ming Industrial Estate Sector A, Singapore 575680, there were hordes of people here! You definitely need to make reservations any day of the week, to avoid the disappointment of being turned away even when you are so close to savouring their wonderful food.

Click Read More to see more photos and discover the affordable price of this meal for 8 people!

The birthday celebration for my brother and my sister has finally ended with our japanese cheese cakes and the time of reckoning was nigh - we all wondered how much it would all be, after all, we had to much food and so many "expensive" items. WE HAD A BILL SHOCK! IT was so affordable for 6 adults and 2 children!

Walking into TungLok Signatures, one would expect the food to be delicious but expensive. I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail and the low price due to the use of Tung Lok's loyalty program. My meal was less than $60 for 2, and we ordered quite a lot! This is largely due to the welcome pack vouchers that we utilized. 

Fine dining at the price of a normal Chinese restaurant was a pleasant surprise indeed, and the ambiance, together with the view, was a great plus point. Located centrally at Vivocity, you can get there easily via MRT, Bus or Taxi. Walk towards the seafront restaurants and you would find a whole range of available cuisines, from Chinese to Western.

Service at Tung Lok Signatures was much better than what you would expect at a chinese restaurant - in fact, it was very pleasant and  not at all the brash Hong Long style service you would get at most places. The hostess showed me to my table in double quick time, and she also told me about the loyalty program and got me a brochure when I showed interest. The menu was brought to my table and after ordering, food appeared like magic - unobtrusive and on time.

Next, we had my favourite poached vegetables with three different kind of eggs - century eggs, salted and eggs and normal eggs. It was simply delicious and every drop was finished. The spinach was nicely poached in superior stock and the eggs were cooked to perfection in it. $20 was reasonable for a portion big enough for four people.

A sampling of their menu - I'm the kind that wants to check the menu out before walking into any restaurant - this is a quick virtual walk through for you!

Rarely do I step out of my comfort zone, but I am really glad that Ian Low invited me out for a tasting at The Grand Stand, formerly known as Turf City, formally the real track for horse races in Singapore. 

It was a little difficult to find it, but all stress melts away once you are in Latte E Miele Artisan Gelato. I was greeted by Marlon, whom I first mistook for the owner, as he was such a happy server, and so knowledgeable about everything on the menu. He had great initiative and even offered water to accompany the Irish Affogato that I ordered.

The espresso smelt amazing, and I could nearly float away on its perfume. The dash of Irish cream gave a bit of warmth to the coffee and sipping it slowly gave me a feeling of pure bliss. Paired with the gelato made from all natural ingredients with no artificial colouring nor flavours, it was such a yummy start to the adventure that would soon follow.

What is Gelato? According to Latte E Miele Artisan Gelato, “Gelato”, which means “frozen”, is Italy’s answer to ice cream. In the northern part of Italy where the weather is cooler, gelato tends to be dairy-based and revolves around nuts and chocolate.  Down south, the warmer weather has led to a preference for the use of fruits in gelato. This type of gelato, otherwise known as sorbetto, is water-based and therefore icier in texture." They even have an interesting info-graphic about Gelato at their site.

Besides just coffee and Gelato, Latte E Miele Artisan Gelato also serves great waffles. Biting into my first waffle topped with ice cream, I was amazed by the full egg flavour. Many establishments don't put egg into their waffle mix due to the cost and also due to the fact that egg in the batter means you have to put the batter in the chiller - egg also makes the waffles spongy and less crisp. The waffles here are deliciously crisp on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. Paired with the vanilla ice cream with real vanilla pods, the taste of this fabulous combination will make you feel like you are somewhere in Europe, away from all that is familiar. If you close your eyes you may even be transported to a Enid Blyton story. But I digress, the waffle with Gelato, drizzled with chocolate sauce was fantastic.

Some photos of their menus, taken in December 2013.

Food presentation, cutting of sashimi and food service were all pretty terrible on a busy Sunday night...avoid their busy nights and you get food that is better prepared with much better presentation with much better service too.

Over the weekend I set out on a MooKata adventure, eating MooKata with my friends from Thailand everyday till we find one that we like. In Thailand, MooKata is very much the social thing, and friends would gather and sit around the pot, talking and having beer. It's one of the more entertaining highlights of eating out in Thailand, and now, it has gotten popular in Singapore as well, with MooKata joints popping up all over. So which is the best I've been to? MooJaa at Keong Saik Rd, due to the service, ambiance, food quality, soup base (with no MSG!) and choice of ingredients. MooJaa is a clear winner, so it wins my full review! What's even better, they close only at 6am, so you can eat there anytime you want, from 11am onwards.

MooJaa at 25 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089132
Call 6536 4780 for reservations or click here.
(Third place I tried and now it is my favourite!)

I went on a "bbq steamboat", "Le Yang" or "Mookata" binge from Sunday to Monday, but it was the very last Mookata Place I went to that really stood out from the rest. MooJaa, pronounced as "Mu Jaaaaaaa", explained in the menu to mean, my "Lovely Pig", a common pet name for couples in love. 

" Moo Ka Ta, for the uninitiated, literally means "Pork Skillet" in Thai and refers to the special cooking apparatus created to enjoy both barbecue and hot pot at the same time. A trough of soup sits on a crock of charcoal, and a dome shaped grill is placed on the trough. This allows the smoke from the charcoal to waft up to the grill, perfuming the meats with some seriously fragrant "wok hei" (wok's breath)."  Written by MooJaa, this accurately sums up what Moo Ka Ta is all about, and at the same time, gives you a little insight into the little details that help set MooJaa apart from the rest of the Moo Ka Ta places in Singapore.

Before walking into MooJaa, I brought my friends on a tour of Chinatown and we walked up the historical Keong Saik Rd  which was really nostalgic especially for me, as I remember coming to one of the houses when they were still houses, as a child of 3 or 4 years old. They were gorgeous and big, but only had one toilet and washing area for the 6 or 8 families living in that huge house in which everyone had one room. The old lady I visited lived in one of the rooms, and I remember her bed was made of wood, with no mattress. While the houses have since been converted to offices, shops and restaurants, the largeness or rather, the depths of the houses remained the same. Keong Saik Road also used to be the "red light district", way before Geylang became popular. I remember as a child, I sat at the entrance of the house marveling at all the pretty "aunties" and "jie jies" that walked in and out of houses marked by red lights or lanterns. Of course, it has radically changed and no semblance of that history is left here.

The place looked classy and when I stepped in, I was wondering how much the meal would cost. I was immediately put at ease after looking at their menu. Both their servers were simply wonderful - they took the time to explain each set, the buffet and then their ala carte dishes. I can't help but wonder if they had a properly scripted explanation, as both described everything systematically and clearly. What is even better, you can log on to their wi-fi network for FREE and order online by keying in menumoo.com on your internet browser. By ordering online, you get a free drink as well! If you would like to check out their menu before heading down, here it is. Click "Like" on their facebook page and get a FREE Cha Yen ( Thai Iced Tea). Coupon instructions appear after clicking Like. Talking about the Cha Yen, it's super tasty with the lovely perfume of black tea sweetened with milk. This has to be the best Facebook page for a restaurant, peppered with special promotions and FREE stuff.

Find out more about the food and experience by clicking read more....

I love talking to people, and it is really fantastic that MooJaa staff are all so friendly! I spoke to the charcoal preparing person who took obvious pride in his job and explained that "this charcoal is different, it is very hot and can last 3 to 4 hours if the soup does not overflow onto it". I had to find out more about it, since he was so passionate about his coal. They use the Japanese Binchotan Charcoal which burns for a longer time and without smoke and odours. I was really impressed that MooJaa had 2 dedicated charcoal preparing staff as this shows that they take their coal really seriously.

A happy chef is one who will make the best food, and as the Thais say, you can tell when someone cooks from their heart with all their soul. Nang is certainly happy in MooJaa, her face tells it all...and we, the customers are even happier - the ingredients for the Moo Ka Ta are super fresh and the thai food here is just as amazing as if we flew to Thailand and were eating there. Now, for the final review: Food at MooJaa, in order of their appearance at our table.

Earlier, I mentioned the fantastic service by our servers. After bringing the food to our table, and answering our questions, my server proceeded to place the pork fat on the top of the dome shaped grill pan. This is so that the oil will flow down for the meats. The wonderful thing about this design is that all the juices of the meats will be collected in the deep groove at the bottom where you can find the tasty chicken and pork stock soup that is already intense on its own but made even more so by the natural juices of the pork and chicken on the bbq pan. The ingredients to be boiled in the soup were then placed and arranged and the result of that looked so tasty that I almost started eating. The first piece of pork was well done in just under 5mins, and it was tender, juicy and crisp all at once. 

Verdict: While writing, I am already planning my next visit, where I would be trying their thai dishes made by a passionate chef who brings her own secret stash of thai sauces to Singapore...As for the moo ka ta (Mukata) at MooJaa, it's a definite crowd pleaser. When I was there, I saw many expats, groups of thai as well as a couple of well-informed Singaporean. Thank you Shaun for the invite - I definitely will be back real soon! The menu has improved since my last visit in October 2012, and I am glad that after more than a year, I have rediscovered your restaurant. The only thing that didn't change is your impeccable service, Kudos to your staff for the enjoyable dining experience at MooJaa.

GOSH! I just realized how long this post is! If you have enjoyed reading this, do comment and let me know if I should write shorter posts!

Those who managed to read everything, here's an extra bonus from MooJaa! Get a $20 voucher from MooJaa FREE if you are the chosen winner to get these three questions right - Just fill the form up and click submit!

Decor at Beijing No.1 is impressive, no terracotta warriors but it certainly looked regal and imposing, with little touches that helped secure the imperial feel. How about the food? The food paled in comparison to the decor, I expected more subtle flavours and layers, but unfortunately, two dishes in our selection seems to have used the exact same stock, and for the price we were paying, I expected the flavours to be a bit more varied.According to their site, Beijing No. 1 is conceptualised by Master Chef Liu Guozhu, and helmed by Executive Chef Shi Wei Dong, who has over 40 years of experience in the Chinese culinary world.

Beijing No. 1 has good servers but managers who are not as service orientated - it took the manager quite a while to find my reservation, and in the end, I had to point out my mother's name right on the top. Not a complicated name, just Mrs Goh. In his defence, perhaps they are used to writing the names in Chinese. The menu I asked to look at didn't come, so I had to walk over to the counter and pick up a copy.

Ah yes, the food awaits, and they are in the order that they were served, which to me, was strange as the Longevity noodles came out third, after "Peking Duck" and the soup that was more like sauce.

If you would like to try eating at Beijing No.1, its details are as follows:

LOCATION:THE SHOPPES, ATRIUM 2, L2-03

ACCESS VIA THE SHOPPES BAY LEVEL (L1) LIFTS AT UOB AND GRAND COLONNADE NORTH
OPERATING HOURS
LUNCHDAILY

11:30AM  -  2:30PM
DINNER5:30PM  -  10:30PM
TELEPHONE:

+65 6688 7515

Photos follow, with comments on each dish. Click Read More to check them out.
 

My Verdict of Bejing No. 1? Beautiful decor, pricey food marred by bad presentation, boosted by good quality ingredients at the hands of a cook, not a chef. Oh yes, my friend and I had food poisoning after as well, and we both think it could be the dishes with the yellow sauce. My family members didn't get it, so the only two dishes that both of us ate more of was suspect : Fish maw with crab claws in "Superior Chicken Soup" and Crab and Melon in the same yellow sauce masquerading as soup. I wrote in to tell them about the food poisoning incident, together with the fact that there was little or no presentation involved in my first experience at Bejing No.1 and this is their scary response..."Our management and chefs do not see ourselves as a fine dining restaurant"