Kichn

I have to say I'm really a big fan of Reiz from Sittingwishingeating because she's one of the remaining few bloggers who has kept to exploring (and discovering) hidden gems from around the island and then going on to share it with all of us. After K Ki and Vanilla Cafe, she did it once again with Kichn here, a simple and minimalist eatery tucked so comfortably and out of nowhere in Albert Court. Kichn is a really good find and I really, really like it, and it was the perfect place for my delightful birthday lunch.


Simple, neat and down-to-earth decor, all in al-fresco style with just a few fans around to keep the area ventilated. Judging from the way the food is served in disposable lunchboxes (and with limited seats available as well), I would think that Kichn actually encourages take-aways more than seat-ins.


Speaking of food, Kichn works on a flexible menu basis where you get to choose the "base" (type of noodle), the mains and the accompanying sauce, letting you "cook up a storm" as it were and allowing you to satisfy your inner cravings. Ice-blended drinks similarly follow a mix-and-match scheme where you get to choose from fifteen different flavours and have the option of doing a single, double or triple blend. Drinks are $1.90 cheaper if you get a main dish, so why not, you deserve that sugar rush anyway!

Deep-Fried Calamari


The food at Kichn, I must state very clearly here, is nothing extraordinary. That said, it is comfort food to the max and one of the best around surely. All deep fried to chow on, and all sugary sweet to slurp on, what's there not to like? The Deep-Fried Calamari here for instance was cooked to a crisp, light brown and had the much welcomed addition of salts and herbs to make it a bit more flavourful. An appetising start.

Chicken Cutlet Spaghetti with Chilli Crab Sauce


Interestingly, I ordered exactly the same main dishes as Reiz had in her blog, in part because the best friend's beef patty was not ready as yet and she had to settle for the portobello mushroom (see below). I meanwhile already had my eyes set on this enticing and drool-worthy combination of Chicken Cutlet and Chilli Crab gravy, and it turned out (much to my joy) to be a huge-ass chunk of oily cutlet alongside thick and aromatic gravy.


Comfort food at its best.

Portobello Mushroom Spaghetti with Cream Sauce


While the best friend thought this was alright, I still don't think it was half as decadent and as satisfying as mine. How can you compare crispy and juicy chicken cutlet with plain, boring-looking portobello mushroom? The answer is, you can't, but at least now you know what's more worth indulging in.

Milo-Coffee Blend & Lychee, Oreo and Milo Blend


I love the sugar high that these drinks get me on. I tried Kichn's suggested "wow" triple blend of Lychee, Oreo and Milo (right of picture above) and it was sooooo good. Imagine the typical Oreo and chocolate blend, but this time with the refreshing, fruity addition of lychee. This is really something that you would grow to like more and more with each sip.

Service
Very good. Place your orders at the counter, and the food and drinks will be delivered to you shortly thereafter.

Price
$7.90 for the deep-fried calamari
$6.90 for the chicken cutlet spaghetti with chilli crab sauce
$8.90 for the portobello mushroom spaghetti with cream sauce
$5.00 additional for a triple blend
$4.00 additional for a double blend

For a list of the items on the menu, click here.

Place
180 Albert Street
#01-05, Albert Court

Additional Comment: Opening Hours
Mon–Thu: 9am – 9pm
Fri–Sat: 9am – 11pm
(Closed on Sun)

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Watami

You could say I was a little curious about all this fuss and gush surrounding Watami, and having gave up once standing in line I was more then determined to make my way back here. If you need to know, the time to beat the queue comfortably would be 6.15pm.

Service is nothing short but impressive. You've got to hand it to the Filipino service crew - all dutifully uttering Japanese greetings as you enter the restaurant, presenting a complimentary wet towel to you personally as though it was a medal, telling you politely that they'd be taking orders for complimentary iced or warm water or green tea and then going through your orders in fluent English. What's there not to like, seeing how they would have managed to win the heart of any Singaporean in the first few seconds:

Thought process of typical Singaporean: Complimentary towel? Complimentary drinks? Free? Wow!

For me however, not having to grapple with a bumbling Chinese staff (who may occasionally have trouble understanding simple English) is good enough. Having polite and friendly Filipino waitresses would be a bonus. A tick for service for Watami surely :)

Kani and Hotate Cream Croquette: 4/5


It's interesting to see how fellow food bloggers SistaFood and MyFoodSirens have enjoyed these same little delights as much as I did, and it seems all three of us share similar thoughts on the crab-scallop filling - there wasn't enough of it!


Still, the golden crispy crust and the smooth hot cream combined makes this a simply delicious bite-sized treat. Hold back the temptation to put it all in your mouth though, it's hot! :)

Chicken Katsu Tamago Toji: 4/5


When they placed the little stove on the table I was thinking what a cute little gimmick this is - getting customers into the glee of "cooking" their own food. All you have to do really is to heat the pan, break the egg over it and let it cook and sizzle for a while. I was told that leaving the fire on for too long would make the dish salty, so I just stirred the egg around for a bit before shutting it off.


On taste, it was quite good actually (thanks to my culinary prowess) though the one from Ichiban Boshi would still come out tops for me. Comparatively, the chicken from Ichiban is a wee bit more moist and tender. Portion is slightly larger too, though admittedly it comes with a higher price tag ($10.90++).

ChaShu Ramen


Out-of-bounds territory for me, but Daphne thought it was not too bad. Another place that is worth trying would be Tampopo at Liang Court, just in case anyone has any craving of sorts.

To wrap up,
Affordable and decent dinner: $29.60
Excellent and attentive service: $2.50
Satisfaction of seeing the long queue outside: Priceless.

Prices
$5.80 for the kani and hotate cream croquette
$7.80 for the chicken katsu tamago toji
$1.80 for a bowl of rice
$9.80 for the chashu ramen

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
ION Orchard, #B3-23.
Also: The Central at Clarke Quay, #03-82.

Additional Comment
First picture source here.

Astons Specialties

If you're in the mood for long queues, there's a new Aston Specialties outlet at Suntec City Mall and boy is it drawing the (young) crowds. Serving tasty Western fare at very reasonable prices, Astons is at it once again with this relatively small eatery (I hear it is larger than the one at The Cathay though), bringing its total number of branches to fifteen. I suppose you must not only have an appetite and a budget, but that bit of patience as well since you have to be prepared for at least a 35min wait during dinner time.


The staff seem quite prepared for the queue, and a couple of them were actually passing the menu around and helping to take down orders so that we could give it to the waiters inside as soon as we get our table. I was thinking it could actually give the people a glimmer of hope (ha!) as they hold on to that piece of paper, waiting for their turn and battling that inner voice to just leave the queue and go elsewhere. It helps if you've got good company and good conversation to make the wait bearable. I realised that one of the staff (or perhaps, the manager himself) was making it seem like an "auction" of sorts as he was uttering "Table for two (or three etc.)? Okay sold!" whenever he came out to usher in the next group of queue survivors. The things people do to make their job that bit more entertaining.

Black Pepper Chicken Cutlet: 3.5/5


For the price, I wasn't expecting too much, and this fitted nicely into my expectations. I liked the fries a lot because of the peppers and the way it's fried to a golden crispy brown. Here at Astons you get a choice of two sides to accompany your main course, but as you can see by that yellow heap I actually asked for a double serving of fries. The chicken wasn't too filling but the fries did the job. A 4 just for the fries man.

Chicken and Sausage Combo


Justin, being the bigger eater, went straight for the combo but I doubt it filled him up that much since he wiped the plate clean in a matter of minutes. He remarked that it's worth the money and worth the wait. Guess that means he's satisfied enough!

Prime Sirloin


Kimberly had this and it looked fairly decent to me. She said that the beef was tender and juicy, and would give it a 4/5 considering especially how affordable it is.

Service
Very prompt. I realised that the customers weren't staying around after they've eaten but instead were quick to get the bill. I guess they empathised with those still waiting in line, as we did as well.

Price
$6.50 for the black pepper chicken cutlet
$10.90 for the chicken and sausage combo
$11.50 for the prime sirloin
* All inclusive of two sides each.

$2.80 for a bottle of IBC rootbeer
$1.50 for a glass of 7-Up
$1.20 for a cup of tea

* No service charge; menu prices are inclusive of GST.

Place
Suntec City Mall, #B1-043/044.

Ichiban Sushi

Daphne had a craving for Japanese food, and we settled for Ichiban Sushi at Toa Payoh after realising (quite late, I admit) that it serves almost exactly the same things as their Ichiban Boshi outlets. I'm quite a fan of Ichiban, though I do find myself eating the same thing over and over again because it's really quite good.

Chicken Katsu Tamago Toji: 8/10


Yes, this is certainly a favourite of mine. The chicken cutlet is nicely fried without being overcooked, and is nicely tender on the inside while being real crispy on the outside. The egg was smooth and the sweet sauce topped it all off. This is really something simple, but I like it. Don't be put off by the $10.90 tag because it's a relatively large portion.

Oyako Toji: 6/10


Daphne ordered this but I could tell that she preferred what I had, and quickly nodded when I asked if she wanted more of mine. I think her chicken pieces had too much fat, and didn't quite tantalise any taste buds because they tasted quite bland on their own.

Potato Croquette: 8/10


Again, something simple, but there's something about the potato that makes it sweet and yet so mushy-like at the same time.

Corn Sushi


Daphne grabbed this off the conveyor belt. She said it was alright.

Service
Very very good. The two managers on duty (as I gather from their blue shirts) were very attentive and seemed to leading their service crew quite well.

Price
$10.90 for the chicken katsu tamago toji
$8.90 for the oyako toji
$2.10 for the potato croquette
$1.80 for a bowl of white rice
$2.00 for a can of sprite

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
Toa Payoh HDB Hub #01-12
For a list of restaurants, click here.

Ichiban Boshi

After my most satisfying lunch here during my MFA internship, I thought I should bring Daphne here for dinner. Since I was only aware of two branches, one in Great World City (where I had my lunch) and the other in Novena, we decided on Great World City since we have not gone there before in a long while. We were saying how our trouble of taking a bus down to Great World would seem a waste of time if there was actually a branch as near as Orchard (which, on checking once I got home - Orchard Centrepoint, and also Esplanade and Suntec City hahaha) but I needed to satisfy my Japanese food craving. I could almost taste the chicken katsu when we were on the bus I tell you haha.

Chicken Katsu Toji: 8.5/10


I love the chicken here because it is not too oily nor is it too soft/cold/moist and overwhelmed by the egg. It came on a hot pan still sizzling, and the gravy was so sweetly good. The crispy and tender chicken went well with the sweet soft plain Japanese rice, which you have to order as a side for $2. Well worth it I would say, and both went well together =)

Chicken Katsu Curry: 8.3/10


This is definitely one of the better Japanese curries that we've tasted, and it came out sweet, warm and definitely not burnt, as most others often taste. We liked this curry too because it was spicy (and not just sweet). Yums!

Potato Croquette: 8.3/10


Daphne liked this more than I did, probably because I felt the potatoes had a different taste than the ones that I am accustomed to. Still, it was very crispy on the outside but so soft and potato-ey on the inside, and we enjoyed it muchly heh.

Service
Attentive.

Price
$10.90 for the chicken katsu toji
$11.90 for the chicken katsu curry
$2.10 for the potato croquette
$2.00 for plain rice

exclusive of the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge

Place
#B1-07 Great World City

Additional Comments
At least for the Great World City branch, this restaurant is merged with a small Japanese market that specialises in fish, sauces and sushi. I had to hold back myself from stuffing myself with inari (rice wrapped in beancurd skin), which I also personally enjoy.

Man Jia Le Full House II

I know I'm lagging behind in Korean drama serials (like, really behind) and as you would guess I'm only in the middle of Full House right now. So far the show has been good, the girls are pretty (heh) though I think the plot for Princess LuLu (go check it out on Crunchyroll if you don't want to get the DVD) is better.

Still, back to the real post on FOOD. Me and Daphne made a second trip to Central at Clarke Quay to have dinner at Full House. The last time we came we had their French Toast but it wasn't that good I felt. So we decided to give them another chance.

Crispy Chicken Cutlet with Rice: 4/10


I clarified that they don't have pork in this, but as much as it was a chicken cutlet, the side had pork in it and it kind of destroyed my appetite. I didn't touch the side at all of course, but I realised they deep fry everything together anyways, which means I'm pretty much not coming back here again unless if it's for drinks or dessert. I suppose the ones at Shihlin Taiwan Snacks are better since it's just chicken and tempura. Some of the stalls of Shihlin have already displayed "no pork, no lard" signs too.

Chicken Chop Gong Zai Mian: 7.5/10


Daphne enjoyed this, because she liked the noodles and the crispy chicken together. I was telling her how she will always have a penchant for instant noodles type of noodles.

Beefy Cheesy Fries: 7/10


As compared to Carl's Junior and Superdog, the beef cheese fries here is less thick and seems like a bit of a stew to me. It still tasted nice, but I prefer the ones at the fast-food restaurants.

Great Ultimate Yuan Yang: 8.5/10
Homemade Barley: 7/10


Pretty cool name for my iced drink, and it makes Daphne's barley pale in comparison haha. One of the best iced yuan yang I've tasted so far, though it shouldn't be taken frequently because it's really thick and sooooo sweet.

Service
Can't anyone speak decent English here?

Price
Close to $20 for everything.
$1.90 each for the small drinks.
$4.80 for the fries.

Place
The Central B1-30
Clarke Quay
Website: http://www.fullhousecafe.com/

The Mind Cafe II

Me and my friends decided to let our minds have a rest and indulge in some fun game-playing at The Mind Cafe after the exams, and it was here at the Purvis Street branch that we found ourselves on a peaceful Friday afternoon. We took the Happy Hour package (see pricing below) where we could add food at an affordable price.

Mind Crispy Chicken Platter: 7/10


Tasted the same as before, still oily but well, it was crispy and alright I guess.

Creamy Chicken Pasta: 7.2/10


Daphne and Mingyan had this. Found it creamily good. For the price that we paid, it was not too bad.

Service
Good. The staff are generally helpful and frequently ask us if we would like to refill our drinks. They should however have told us that our four hours of Happy Hour gameplay was over instead of keeping quiet and making us pay the usual charges when time rolled on!

Price
The Mind Happy Hours
(Every Mon to Thurs 2pm to 6pm
& Every Friday 12pm to 6pm, Any 4 hours)

$5.00 per pax only
- Free-flow of boardgaming
- Free-flow of drinks

Add a Mini-snacker for $3.90
Add a Toastie with French Fries for $4.50
Add a Main Course for $5.80

From the website:
http://www.themindcafe.com.sg/pricesCharges.php

Place
Purvis Street, Bugis.
Also: Boat Quay, Prinsep Street.

Ajisen Ramen

Believe me or not this is the first time I've set foot in Ajisen, and I would have to say what I had, and with the satisfaction of Daphne over what she ordered as well, has gotten me ready to come back some time soon.

Chicken Teriyaki: 7.7/10


The noodles was very sweet and didn't have that thick quality that might probably make you feel like reversing the digestive process (as in some cases you might actually do) like in other ramen. Rather, the softness of the chicken cubes and the sweet tangy sauce made my day really and even now when I'm typing this three days later, I'm drooling already haha.

Spicy Ramen: 8.3/10


Daphne was cooing with delight at the spiciness of this dish. She loved the soup base which was a mix of sweetness, spice and sour tanginess. While she's aware that 9 is a bit on the high side, she feels justified in giving such a high score on the good soup.

Side - Chicken Cutlet: 6.5/10


Ordinary.

Side - Fried Tofu: 7/10


Smooth texture and very very soft.

Service
Good, very quick yet still polite service is maintained.

Price
There's this set meal thing that goes like $14.80 for ramen + one side + soft drink, which was what we had.

Place
Lot One Choa Chu Kang
Also: Plaza Singapura, Changi Airport Termainal One, Bugis Junction, Bishan Junction 8
Wesbite: http://www.ajisen.com.sg/menu.htm

The Mind Cafe

The menu online looked really good, and the package looked really attractive too, so we thought why not. Eight of us packed in The Mind Cafe at Purvis Street eagerly enjoying ourselves before school reopens next week! Here's our take on the food we ordered.

Mushroom Soup: 4.9/10


This was the Soup of the Day, and it was ordinary. No complaints, but no wild praises either.

Mind Crispy Chicken Platter: 7/10


Three of us ordered this. What I liked about this was the portion, because boy was the chicken slice big and chunky. The meat though was just alright, and after a while we found it a tad too oily to swallow. While I'm accustomed to oily and crispy chicken, the two other boys slowly did away with their chicken skins. Still, it was good enough for me.

The Boat Quay Fisherman: 7/10


Daphne had the usual fish and chips, much of it was because we saw someone else having this and it looked promising. Normal fare really, wasn't too oily and we felt the fish was fresh enough.

Salmon Pasta: 6.5/10


One of the boys had this, and he felt those served at Cafe Cartel or NUS' Munchie Monkeys are better. He preferred it more creamy.

Marinara Pasta: 7.5/10


Seafood pasta is always one of my fav. One of the girls ordered this and she enjoyed it. Good sauce and fresh ingredients.

Seafood Lasagna: 3/10
The girl who had this didn't like it because she felt it seemed more like minced seafood. As much as it looked like lasagna, it tasted more like tomato sauce with slight amounts of cheese. In her words, she found this "super unsatisfying". While we may not have the pic for this, it did look pretty dry to me.

The Mind - Black and White Brownie: 8/10


This was good. Very rich brownie, and I liked the chocolate bits at the top. Any sweet tooth would say aye to this! The vanilla ice-cream was, vanilla, but hey, the highlight is on the brownie.

Milo Godzilla: 8.5/10
Someone wanted Iced Milo, then someone else wanted Milo Dinosaur (which is Iced Milo with Milo powder added at the top for added sweetness heaven). And then I decided to top it off with Milo Godzilla. Coolness in the names isn't it. Milo Godzilla is like a Milo Dinosaur Float. Very thick and sweet as I love it!

Service
Outstanding. Very very helpful and patient staff - with the games and the food. There were eight rowdy and crazy people in us but still they were so cool and calm with us being so slow and indecisive. Thumbs up.

Price
Very very worth it. It was $16.90++ (++ for 10% Service Charge and 7% GST) for:
1. One Drink (Any drink from the menu)
2. One Soup of the Day or Salad
3. One Main Course
4. One Mind Brownie
5. Two hours of boardgaming

Place
Purvis Street, Bugis.
Also: Boat Quay, Prinsep Street.

Additional Comments
NUS Matriculation Cards get their 10% Service Charge waived. Cool, especially when the service is so good!

Miss Clarity Cafe

I had a craving for Miss Clarity's Black Pepper Crispy Chicken and so me and Daphne headed there once again - we were there twice within the fortnight =) It's close to Bugis and needs reservations on weekday nights since I heard it's quite popular. Looking at the menu, I realised it's very very affordable too.

Calamari Rings: 8/10


This came hot and one bite and you know it's really crispy goodness. The calamari (or 'sotong' as some of us prefer to call it) is real in the sense that it's not some paste or fake meat (like fake crabmeat), and taste fresher than those you would find at Old Chang Kee. This was good stuff, and had set the pace for the main course.

Black Pepper Crispy Chicken: 8.3/10


The sauce and herbs used were very good, and unlike the harder crispier skin at BBQ Chicken, this one was softer but just as sweet and tasty. I loved this dish really. The steamed potatoes were good too! On my second visit however, the chicken was a little too oily for my liking. But I refuse to change the ratings because it could have just been a lil mistake on their part. You guys are forgiven!

Chicken Baked Rice: 5/10

We were surprised this didn't turn out that good. While the chicken chunks were alright, the rice was cold and had a bland tomato taste. The melted cheese too was quite cold and clung to the sides of the dish. Felt very oven heated if you get what I mean.

Twin Delight: 9/10

My pants was already bursting at the seams but because she didn't have a very good main course I agreed to share the cake with her. It was fantastic. It had chocolate, bit of coffee if I remember correctly, and vanilla all mixed together in divine goodness. Soft and smooth, this was good.

Service
Just like the wallpapers of the restaurant, the waitresses at Ms Clarity Cafe were all as sweet and cheery.

Price
$7.00 for the calamari rings,
$7.50 for the chicken / baked rice,
$4.50 for the twin delight.

Place
5 Purvis Street #01-04
http://www.missclaritycafe.com/

Additional Comments
No reservations for Fridays and Saturdays, and it's closed on Sundays.