Botak Jones

So Polar’s and I decided to head down to Botak Jones, the outlet which is located next to SPH for dinner. We went together with Polar’s friend and family.

When we got there, finding a seat wasn’t difficult but the queue to order the food was longggggggg. So I took a copy of the menu since everything is semi self – service and settled for a Ribeye Steak 200gm and 2 sides namely the Double baked Cheese Potato (extra $0.80) and Coslaw.

Ribeye Steak 200gm $15.90

Beef Steak medium well, just the way I like it. The meat was juicy and tender. The Double baked cheese potato was yummy! Cheesy with potato bits and really tasty!

Polar was very indecisive and so she settled for the Cajun Chicken (L) and two sides of Double Baked Cheese Potato and Vegetables.

Cajun Chicken (L) $13

Polar said “ The Cajun chicken meat is moist and tender. I like the cheese sauce on top and it compliments the taste of the smokey chicken taste. The skin of the chicken is also very crispy.”

We also ordered Whoop Ass Cheese Fries!

Whoop Ass Cheese Fries!

The Whoop ass cheese fries reminds me of the beefy cheese fries at carls jr. There is mince beef, onions and cheese. It's a bit spicy and has a little tomato tang to the taste. The fries also have a strong taste of spices.

Polar’s friends family ordered the following dishes:

Veggie Burger with Veggie Stew

The veggie stew has got lots of celery and zucchini and carrot I think it's tomato base. Taste of healthy vegetables. The vegetable burger patty is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Taste like it has a couple of spices added and a little spicy. Not bad.

Oxtail Soup

Oxtail soup has a strong taste of clove and butter. Really thick and creamy with potatoes inside. The meat is not really tender, needs to be stewed longer. Overall, good.

Fish and Chips

Basa fish is used to make the fish and chips, it flakes well and taste very fresh. The batter is very crispy and the fish meat is very soft.

Fried jalapeños

Fried jalapeños, it's hot, HOT! If you are a fan of spiciness, you will love this. It totally burn my tongue. The batter is super crispy and the jalapeños are really soft and the cheese stuffing inside taste complements the spicy taste well.


Overall the food is really good and worth the money. The ambience is also good too! Did I mention there is a bar there as well? Yup, so if you are in need of a nice cool beer, just order it! The bar is open till 1am.

Ratings:

Freshness - 4/5

Quality - 4.5/5

Taste - 4.5/5

Total - 4.5/5

Click here for outlet info.












Koala bear signing off....

Eighteen Chefs

One evening when I met polar bear, she had to get some stationery and also satisfy her craving for pasta from Eighteen Chefs. So, in order to satisfy both her criteria’s I brought her to Eastpoint at Simei!

When you sit at the table, you will notice that the entire menu is plastered onto the table itself. Its cool since you don’t have to flip through dog-ear menus which may tear anytime.

Menu on Table

They even have specials for Students!

Student Meal Offer!

So since I am still a student, in poly, I got the student meal! Totally worth it.

Before I continue, a little fact about Eighteen Chefs. The workers working there all have a conviction background. Meaning, they had some kinda trouble with the law. So this place gives them a new hope and a job so as to kick start a new life. No need to fear dining there, they are all nice people.

Moving on, the ordering can be a bit of a challenge and the first time I was there, it took me quite a while to understand the ordering style. But no worries, now they explain it all on the menu table top. But for your convenience, I shall explain it to you now.

“First you indicate whether you want cheese baked rice, pasta or cheese bakes pasta. Then choose your sauce. There are 8 different types of sauce!! Thirdly, choose your main ingredient. (Take your time on this because there are 13 to choose from, ranging from meat to vegetarian and all the way to seafood!) Lastly, choose your top up ingredient unless you only want one ingredient in your pasta”

Talk about spoilt for choice! With so many to choose from, I took quite a while to decide on what I wanted to eat.

So I chose the Student meal where I took my favourite Red and White Sauce (tomato and cream sauce mix), with pasta not baked, and I chose 3 ingredients namely, Chicken Sausage, Salmon and Chicken Slices.

Koala's yummy pasta!

I love the red and white sauce, it has a good mix and its not too salty. The chicken sausage is not something special, its just part of the student meal. The salmon was good, it was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, It absorbed all the pasta flavour and was enjoyable. The chicken was also very fresh.

Polar well, doesn’t qualify for student meal, too old. Haha! So Polar had White Sauce (cream sauce), Minced Beef and Prawns on Pasta not baked.

Polar's yummy pasta!

Polar’s pasta was good as well. The cream sauce wasn’t too creamy and the mince beef was really awesome! The beef taste blends in extremely well with the sauce and the prawns were very fresh. Just that the prawns were $3 for 3 pieces!

Did I mention their Ice Lemon Tea is homemade and is AWESOME! It is one of the best ice lemon tea I ever had!

Ice Lemon Tea, Love the cup!

We also ordered their Potato and Fruit Salad.

Fruit and Potato Salad $2.50

Looks good? Well, don’t be fooled. It was SALTY! It tasted so salty like everything including the mayo was blended with salt. It was the worst thing ever! I complained and the manager changed a new salad for me and it was still SALTY! So I complained again. And they gave me a refund. (:

Overall, I love the pasta there. Don’t expect the quality of a five star restaurant, the taste of the pasta is really up to standard and for the price they offer, it’s a steal.  It is usually pack every evening so don’t hesitate to call and book a table before going down. Click here for their website.

Ratings:

Freshness – 4.5/5

Quality – 4/5

Taste – 4/5

Total – 4/5

Eastpoint Mall

3 Simei Street 6,

Eastpoint Mall, #01-36,

Singapore 528833

(Located beside POSB)

(click here for a list of their outlets)

photo from google search.

Koala Signing off....

Yum

“ Yum is that Thai word that signifies the perfect balance between spicy, sour, salty and sweet. Finding the yum is the key to Asian Cuisine. That combination of unique flavour is one of the reasons why Asian food has become so popular.”

-Chef Jet Tila-

Love this quote from the cooking show Chasing The Yum on the Asian Food Channel. I love Asian food, especially Chinese food and Japanese food! Why? Because it is the YUMS!

Koala, signing off! =)

Pho House Vietnamese Food

Vietnamese food is growing in popularity in Singapore and no doubt, I do have some difficulties trying to get my hands on good Vietnamese food in Singapore. I have eaten authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Canada made by my Vietnamese family friend when I was still living there and the ones she makes are the best!

But finally, in Singapore, I managed to find a restaurant that can rival what I had in Canada many years ago. Located at the top floor of Suntec City, right across Toys ‘R’ Us is the Vietnamese Restaurant Pho House.

I usually drop by there for dinner and it is always packed! There are so many customers and the environment of the restaurant is very cosy. However, the waiting staff can get a little annoying and hostile but the food totally makes up for it!

Menu

Set Meal Promotion

They serve set meals at only $13 ++ that comes with a Appetizer of either a Salad Roll or Egg roll, top up $2 and you get their Lemon Grass Chicken Wing. Main Course of your choice and a drink, either Ice Tea or Vietnamese Coffee.

Both polar and I each took the set meal , I had Pho Bo which is the Vietnamese noodle beef soup with a Salad Roll and a Ice Lemon Tea.

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Salad Roll

Salad Roll

The Pho Bo was really good and the main course comes with Mint leaves and raw Bean sprouts served on the side. I put in the mint leaves so as to add a little more minty flavour which I love. The soup is very hearty and it is a good balance of sweet and salty.

The salad roll was a little frozen but after letting it defrost for a while, it was crunchy and tasty! The prawns were really fresh, so was the vegetables. But if you don’t like the taste of mint leaves, don’t add it in.

Polar had Vietnamese Beef Stew with Lemon Grass Chicken Wing and Vietnamese Coffee.

Beef Stew with Rice

Vietnamese Drip Coffee

Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Condensed Milk

Lemon Grass Chicken Wing

And this is what Polar has to say about the food:

"Koala's been bugging me to comment on my food rather then keep eating. So here it goes. (: I’m not a big fan of mint leaves but I love and adore beef!  So i've decided to give the vietnamese beef stew a try.

The set came with a Vietnamese drip coffee and it was served before the meal though I should have chosen after the meal. I was amused by how the coffee cup looked liked and fiddled with it before I took a whiff and then a sip at the coffee. My eyes lit up instantly from the kick of the fragrant aroma of grinded coffee beans! This is good stuff and it gave a strangely nostalgic feeling. (:

The beef stew looks extra appetizing with all that sliced carrot floating on top of the soup. Lovely colour! The soup has a sweet carroty essense to it and the beef were very tender. It's fairly a big bowl of soup with a generous portion of beef."

Overall, this place is a die die must try! Totally love it! I will dine there every once a month because I totally love the food! For the set meal, it is definitely worth the money!

Ratings:

Freshness – 4.5/5

Quality – 4.5/5

Taste – 5/5

Overall – 5/5

3 Temasek Boulevard

#03-008 Suntec City Mall

Tel: 68202455






Polar and Koala signing off!

Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh

On a bright and sunny Sunday, Polar’s good friend called us out for a bit of Pre Hair Raya fun! Haha! We headed down to Arab street to check out the goodies they were selling as well as the different buffets offered for the breaking fast in the evening.

We started to feel hungry and instead of having the Halal food, we headed for Bak Kut Teh! I’ve been there to eat several times and on all occasions I’ve been there, it is very very crowded!

So we got a table and ordered the usual, Bak Kut Teh and Herbal Chicken. We also ordered the side dishes of Preserved Vegetables and Steamed Peanuts. At the same time, I also got my favourite Homemade Ice Lemon Tea ($1.30)!

The Ice Lemon Tea is really good, it is thick, not so sweet and also it has a strong lemon taste and the best part, it is not sour! My girlfriend, polar bear kept sipping on my drink. -.-“

The food didn’t take long to come. Here are our dishes!

Bak Kut Teh

Herbal Chicken

The Bak Kut Teh served there is the herbal one and has a strong herbal taste. I like it because the meat is so soft, it practically falls off the bone. The meat is also very tender and juicy. Mixed with the chilli and dark soy sauce, this taste like heaven! The soup is also very sweet and appetizing, one sip and it warms my belly!

As for the Herbal Chicken, it has a very very strong herbal taste but it taste really good! The chicken falls off the chicken thigh effortlessly and it is soft yet not dry.

The soup is sweet and it really warms you up. Its not suitable for people who hate Chinese medicine or any kinda chinese herbal food.

Overall, the food was Great! Polar’s friends enjoyed it very much! The total bill was $25 for 2 herbal chicken and 2 Bak Kut Teh ( 1 person portion). Very worthwhile for the price and the taste is fabulous! A Definite must try and I will be going back there for dinner very soon!

Ratings:

Freshness – 4.5/5

Quality – 4.5/5

Taste – 5/5

Total  - 5/5

321 Beach Road

Kampong Glam Conservation Area

11am to 9pm

(Closed on Mon)







koala signing off...

Qun Zhong Eating House

Sorry for not updating this week, I was facing a life and death crisis this week where my doctor feared for my life. Did a blood test and I’m actually A OK! =)

About Qun Zhong Eating House. Polar bear has been hearing much raves about this place from her friends and has been telling me that the Zha Jiang Mian is very nice. No doubt I am a big fan of Zha Jiang Mian and I only vouch by the one sold in Asian Kitchen, but I decided to give this one a try.

So, Polar and I made our way down to the eating house which is pretty near to Maxwell Market. There was a long queue just to get into the restaurant to dine and Polar and I waited for 10mins just to get our seats.

So while waiting, I snapped some photos of the menu hanging outside the window.

A picture by the window of their famous dishes.

The old uncle that showed us to our seats was a grumpy old man. His service attitude was bad. Luckily the waitresses that waited on us was slightly better than him but you could tell they were busy as they hurried to take orders.

According to Polar Bear’s friends, the Zha Jiang Mian was good, so was the Xiao Long Bao and the Gyoza. So we ordered these few items. The food didn’t take long to arrive but while waiting we discovered something…

Old School Teapot!

Finally, the food came.

Xiao Long Bao $7 for 7

The Xiao Long Bao was horrible. There was an overpowering taste of sesame seed oil and the meat was so soft it was like baby food. It wasn’t fragrant or tasty. The skin of the Xiao Long Bao was thick unlike the usual thin ones. Price wise, shit man. Definitely not what I expected.

Zha Jian Mian $5

The Zha Jiang Mian wasn’t much appetizing either. It tasted more like rojak sauce  covered over the noodles and topped with fresh vegetables. The noodle was good though, I heard it is homemade. Other than that, the taste was so so.

Gyoza $8 for 10

The Gyoza though was surprisingly good! It was really crispy on the outside and the meat was soft and juicy inside. There are a lot of chives in the Gyoza, just how I like it! One bite into it and the juice comes flowing it. This one is a must try!

On the menu, there are other interesting stuff like Chinese Pizza. I’m curious about it but the portion size is huge. If you want to try it, bring your friends down and give it a go.

Overall, I think this place is not the greatest and I’m definitely not going to go back there to eat. For the price I paid, the taste doesn’t live up to the price. But maybe its just me because there is a long queue just to get in.

Rating:

Freshness - 4/5

Quality – 3.5/5

Taste – 3/5

Overall – 3.5/5

21 Neil Road

Opening Hours:

11.30am to 3pm

5.30pm to 9.30pm

(Closed on Wed)



Koala signing off...

Susan Chan Food

After wandering Orchard road for the entire evening, my girlfriend and I were starving. Being tight on budget, we decided to have dinner at Far East Plaza where we have yet to try the correct western food stall after visiting the many food stalls located at the top floor but none serving the satisfying western food.

We reached the top floor and low and behold, we were standing right in front of Susan Chan Food, the food stall (excluding restaurants) that we have yet to try. We walked right in and were served by this friendly aunty who seated us and handed us the menus.

I looked around and saw everyone eating their tze char. No one was eating western food and for a moment, my girlfriend and I thought we walked into the wrong shop but looking at the menu, they do serve western food but only Fish and Chips.

Much deliberation later, we decided to order tze char and had Gan Chao Mian Sian (Stir Fried Mee Sua) and Sweet and Sour Chicken rice. I love anything sweet and sour, I always have to order sweet and sour something when eating tze char.

While waiting for the food, my girlfriend and I chose our drinks. There was so much to choose from. There were over 10 types of liang teh and after 5 mins, I settled for….

$2.00

And my darling girlfriend had Qoo!

Qoo! Fuji Apple!

Our food came fast and the sweet and sour chicken rice looked a little sad.

Gan Chao Mian Sian $4.50

Sweet and Sour Chicken Rice $5.00

I gotta say, the sweet and sour chicken was awesome! It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicken meat was plentiful unlike other places are just fried fats and not meat. The sauce was also very unique, thick, sour and yet sweet with a little kick. Not a spicy kick but the “satisfying” kick! Other then the sweet and sour chicken on the plate, the rest was so so.

Moving on, the Gan Chao Mian Sian was ok. The taste was a little bland. I just felt that there was something missing like more chicken stock. My girlfriend concluded that they used the wrong type of noodles to fry. But to our surprise, almost every table was eating it!

Overall, I do want to go back and try their other dishes and the sweet and sour chicken is a must try! Love their wide selection of liang the, so if you are in orchard, head to Susan Chan Food for dinner!

Ratings:

Freshness - 4/5

Quality - 4/5

Taste - 3.5/5

Total rating: 4/5

Susan Chan's Food 

Far East Plaza

#05-100/101 

Koala bear signing off...

Once Upon A Milkshake

On a hot and sunny day which is like two-thirds the days out of 365 days in Singapore, who won’t yearn for a nice cool cup of Ice Cream or a cold yummy milkshake. Why not have both at the same time!

Well, this specialty is found in none other than Once Upon A Milkshake. Popular for their premium ice cream milkshake, the first outlet was open at Maxwell Road.

Maxwell Road outlet

So while waiting for my girlfriend to finish her event, I made my way to Once Upon A Milkshake which is conveniently located right next to Tanjong Pagar MRT station, which is very near to PLAY club. Looks like I can have a nice cup of milkshake before hitting the dancefloor since they are open till 10pm.

And so I ordered my Chocolate Truffle Castle milkshake and sat waiting for my drink. I ordered the mini size and the cup looks so cute!

Chocolate Truffle Castle $3.30

Look at the interior, its oh so cosy!

The milkshake was a little difficult to suck up the straw as it was so stiff because the ice cream was frozen. After a while, the ice cream sort of melted and the texture of the milkshake was creamy and smooth and the chocolate bits inside were crunchy and oh so chocolatey! It was Delicious!!!

The two most popular flavours are Agent Strawberry and Spooky Mocha… what cute names too!!! Too bad, it was sold out the day I went to try it.

They have also opened a new parlour (outlet) at *scape which is beside cineleisure. You can also have your orders delivered if you order in advance. Click here to visit their website for more information.

Overall, this is a must try. It is a unique taste and creamy texture makes it seriously yummy. It feels like drinking soft ice cream since this place also sells ice cream and brownies. Great place to chill with friends!

Ratings:

Freshness – 4.5/5

Quality - 4.5/5

Taste – 4.5/5

Total rating - 4.5/5

32 Maxwell Road

#01-08 Maxwell Chambers

Tel: 9823 3779

Sun to Thu: 12pm - 10pm

Fri & Sat: 12pm - 11pm

*cape (next to Cineleisure)

2 orchard link #02-03/04

12pm to 10.30pm daily




Koala, signing off! =)

Feng Sheng Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ever since I started internship 5 months ago all the way at Buona Vista, this stall has to be one of my favourites! With the abundance of food there this dish stood out to be the best of the best!

I have to admit, chicken rice is my most loved dish. How I got to know about this store? Well, at where I am interning at, there the admin aunty exclaimed that she had to have the chicken rice at Dover at least once a week because it was oh so good! So I just had to give it a shot and see if what she said is true.

And so into the second month of my internship, I made my way down to Dover market during my lunch break, which is a 5min walk from my office building, Fusionopolis. 

Dover Rd Market

I was surprised to see the massive amount of pigeons… and the long queue of people at Feng Sheng Hainanese Chicken Rice stall, all wanting to get their hands on chicken rice! I joined the oh so long queue which cleared pretty quickly and got my hands on my chicken rice!

White Chicken Drumstick rice $2.50

I bought my favourite white chicken drumstick rice and its so cheap! A normal plate of chicken rice will only cost $2!! Where to find sia!

You gotta admit, the chicken looks bloody good! The chicken may look pink but it is not raw, it was cooked to hainanese perfection, something that is really hard to find nowadays. The soup was equally fantastic, it had a strong taste of chicken stock, unlike other places are like diluted with spring onions floating on top.

The meat was tender and soft and one bite into it made me feel like I was in heaven. The chicken was moist and juicy! The skin was silky smooth and full of fatty goodness! It was DELICIOUS!

There is also another chicken rice stall which is two stalls down but the quality is so-so. So don't go to the wrong stall!

Overall, this chicken rice place is a die die must try!! There is no where else in Singapore that you can get such a cheap plate of chicken rice that taste fantastic!

But you gotta be fast because I heard that place will be undergoing renovation soon!

Ratings:

Freshness – 4.5/5

Quality – 5/5

Taste – 5/5

Total rating – 5/5

Dover Rd Market

Feng Sheng Hainanese Chicken Rice

#01-133








Koala, signing off! =)