Reviews written by brainboggler

Zhou Kitchen boasts a wide assortment of chinese dishes that aims to please your tastebuds. The wide variety of dishes range the gamut, from the standard san bei ji (3 cup chicken) all the way to unique house specials such as the mouthwatering braised lamb shank. Each individual dish is tastefully crafted by the professional chefs, resulting in a dish that not only looks but also tastes delicious.

My personal favourite is the "Xing Hua" traditional homemade noodles. My grandmother used to cook this dish for me every Saturday when I was just a little girl. Being one of the minority dialect groups in SIngapore, finding this dish in the menu has been a challenge. Finally, I am able to have my favourite noodles without needing to trouble my dear old grandma.

Apart from the usual menu, Zhou kitchen seasonally introduces dishes such as Hairy Crab. This is a real treat as it provides an opportunity to expand my palate and explore some hard-to-come-by culinary sensations. In the afternoons, high tea is served. Each dim sum dish is delectable and does not disappoint.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is of a casual diner. It provides a relaxing atmosphere that allows for unbridled enjoyment of the sumptuous meals or simply to have a chat with friends and loved ones.

I highly recommend Zhou kitchen as an excellent restaurant to have a normal weekend dinner with the family. The atmosphere is casual enough to bring the kids while still maintaining a high standard of food. As an added bonus, the food in not too expensive, providing a treat for both your stomach as well as your wallet. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Always heard people raving about this place and it happened to move near my home! So my family just had to visit it. We heard about the terrible experiences of people getting there since the parking was limited, so we went at an off-peak weekday and parked somewhere else before walking down. There are typically long queues and a long waiting time as well, although valet parking is offered to alleviate the jam. Do take note and try to book in advance if possible!

The place is always bustling and crowded with many waiters walking about. Business is brisk. My family had to order their signature chili crab with fried golden mantous. It was good but nothing spectacular, honestly. What was interesting was that they wrote a 4D number on the crab shell which I found really amusing.

Serving up Cantonese cuisine, the experience of eating here is incomparable. The furnishings are Oriental yet modern and tastefully done, elegant and opulent. It's a really posh place one can usually only dine at on special occasions.

The food here is good in every way. The ingredients are fresh, they are cooked to perfection with the right texture, the flavours blend together well, they are presented artistically and entices you as a whole package. I really like every course, which are exquisite and served in small portions so you are able to try one of everything. They are also done with a twist, combining ingredients you don't usually see together (e.g. Crispy wasabi-aioli prawns with fresh mango and fish roe).

However, you do end up very full at the end of the meal which is something I dislike. I don't have a particular favourite here as everything is cooked so well it's hard to even choose. However, I am always fascinated and excited by their avocado ice-cream dessert which is served with dry ice beneath the bowl so you feel as if you are in a dreamscape.

I was attracted by the fancy pictures outside of the shop promising really delicious and yet healthy food. Stepping in, my friend and I were by very friendly and hospitable staff and quickly seated.

We ordered the spicy soft tofu stew with pork which was served in a hot stone pot and came with 2 appetizers and a bowl of rice. We ordered another bowl of rice and chose from their 4 different types available: white, black, brown&white and barley&white. I got black which I find tastes like pulut hitam, and my friend tried barley&white which was literally just that; white rice mixed with barley grains. They both tasted a little odd eaten with the soup as the rice had their own strong flavour. While I enjoyed mine which complemented each other in an odd way, my friend disliked her barley rice with the soup and said it was weird.

The soup was pretty good with really silky tofu but I honestly do not think that it was anything special and worth the cost of $14++. Kimchi soup can be easily made or found elsewhere, hence I would recommend others to order something else when eating here. It was a very nutritious meal all in all, and we were both full from sharing.

Hanshik is a really nice place to dine at as their food are cooked by Koreans, ensuring the authenticity of each dish, plus the cost is not unreasonable.

Each table are served with an array of 7 korean appetizers served on little platters, such as kimchi, bean sprouts and seaweed. These are unique to their culture and taste different in how they are prepared. These are free flow, and also come with a jar of barley tea.

My friend and I tried their beef bulgogi which was really tasty and tender, as well their bibimbap which came in a stone bowl and was really fragrant. I also tried their japchae which was kind of like glass noodles, but it was very delicious as well since the sweet potato noodles are supposed to be able to absorb lots of flavour. I will be going back to try their samgyetang and etc. other mouth-watering food!

The ambience in Relish is really laid-back and comfy, and makes you feel right at home. A little on the pricey side, they are a sister branch off WIld Rocket and are renowned for their burgers. I tried their signature Wild Rocket burger and was disappointed. It was good, with it's fresh ingredients and juicy beef patty, however, it felt really home-made and nothing special. Served with a salad and fries, I didn't feel that it was all it is made out to be. I also tried their hae bee hiam pasta which was cooked with XO sauce and was really tasty and exuded local flavour.

However, I highly recommend everyone to try their strawberry cheesecake. In actual fact, it is not really a cake per say. It comes in a glass, which will surprise you - it is a 'deconstructed' cheesecake. But it is absolutely to-die-for, I assure you.

Fosters is more commonly known as a steakhouse, rather than An English Rose Cafe. Offering a charming Devonshire Cream Tea Set 3 to 6pm daily, it is absolutely worth every penny. At only $10.50++, it offers you it's famous scones, fruit cake, a pot of tea as well as finger sandwiches. These are accompanied by generous amounts of jam, clotted cream and butter which you can slather on, and complements the taste really well. The scones smell absolutely amazing and taste as good as it smells. What's best is that you are allowed to swap the fruit cake and sandwiches for more scones if you would prefer that, and which I would recommend doing.

The restaurant is also really homely and decorated in an authentic English manner, with plush seats and even a knight's suit of armour. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.

Famous for the laksa lasagna, you just have to give such a novel idea a try. It is rather tasty, the laksa sauce going well with the pasta layer. The lasagna, although baked, does not dry out the tau gua as well, which is a definite plus point.

It is also interesting to try out the many types of laksa originating from different parts of asia. I was really surprised to see how different they were. For example, the Penang laksa had a clear soup. The ingredients used in each type are also vastly different, and hence the tastes are not what you would expect. The laksa here is not as spicy as I would have preferred, however.

I also like the fact that the diner is a social enterprise, hiring marginalized individuals. The shop also employs a self-service concept where you indicate your orders on a sheet and pay at the counter before sitting down. Your meal will then be brought to you.

I like going to Tampopo with its specialty in pork that is of high-quality and imported. The restaurant in Takashimaya usually has long queues and the atmosphere is brisk and bustling. The technique of cooking the pork here is well grasped and brings out the flavour really well, giving it a nice juicy and tender texture. The portions are also really big and filling, and also nutritious, coming with side dishes like fruits.

I tried their signature black pig ramen and was suitably impressed. However, I found the stock rather salty (this is rather typical of japanese soups however) although very flavourful. The egg that accompanies it is also of the right consistency, unlike most ramen shops which have them hard-boiled. Instead, the yolk is slightly watery while the whites are hard boiled.

My friends and I bought the grand slam curry to share amongst the 6 of us. It was sufficient for our lunch, but also allowing space for dessert. We were really excited to try this curry since it was strongly recommended by my friend.

We weren't disappointed. However, I feel that Japanese curry isn't that hard to cook actually. It might had been that we were really hungry that day after CCA that made it taste especially good. One can easily replicate the sauce with a pre-mix. But the fun of eating a giant sized curry and sharing it with your friends or family (or even challenging yourself to finish it) is a rather good marketing gimmick.