Seafood Paradise

An evening retreat saw the directorate make its way to the Singapore Flyer, where many of us experienced our maiden flight on-board the giant observation wheel. With our "VIP Signature Cocktail Flight" passes, we were given "full VIP treatment" (which really means a short wait at the lounge and an escorted walk to the capsule) as well as a "unique cocktail" (very much a mocktail, to the dismay of many colleagues) to savour during our short, thirty-minute ride.


I can't say I found the ride particularly exciting, but maybe it's just because I'm too familiar with the sights of Singapore. I suppose it was the view of the gentle sunset upon the city's skyscrapers that made the ride somewhat worthwhile, a pretty and even calming scene indeed that no camera can really capture in its entirety.


Dinner at Seafood Paradise was nothing impressive really, but at least I had the good company of my colleagues to thank for. I think many of the dishes here have been somewhat diluted in their flavours to cater to the tourists, which made quite a few of us feel that there was "something missing" in them. If I had to make a quick comparison, a quick thought from the tip of my fingers, I would say a place like Mellben serves up way better dishes than Seafood Paradise. I must add that I like the tea here though, nicely flavoured and aromatic Rose Tea to accompany the meal. Call me conventional, but it's always tea for me for such Chinese-themed dinners rather than wines or beers.

Steamed Scottish Bamboo Clam
With Golden Mushroom and Minced Garlic


The bamboo clams were an interesting sight to behold, but truth be told, they tasted more like scallops to me. Very strong hint of garlic, but it clears up your airwaves and gets your appetite going.

Braised Whole Baby Shark's Fin Broth
With Crab Roe and Dried Scallop


This soup appears to promise much more than it can deliver - on taste it was terribly ordinary and some even described it as tasteless or flat. Wasteful use of the endangered species then.

Steamed Live Seabass "Medan" Style


The seabass was fresh and tasted sweet on its own. The "Medan" style sauce was a mix of sweet, sour and spicy, but I personally didn't like it that much. I would prefer a simple deep-fried fish actually, but that's just me.

Boiled Live Ocean Prawns


Prawns, like the fish, were fresh. Only problem is that this dish turned out to be as monotonous as the shark's fin soup.

Renowned Crispy Roast Chicken


The roast chicken was not too bad actually, and I remember the skin to be as crisp as it would be for roast ducks. The meat wasn't too dry, so that's good too.

Imperial Spare Ribs with Mocha Sauce


Or otherwise better known as "coffee pork ribs". No idea how these tasted, but the colleagues were rolling off various other places that serve good coffee ribs so I gather these didn't quite make the mark.

There were also some E-fu noodles and simple desserts (the all typical almond jelly with longan) to round off this "Corporate Value Set Menu", but these were at best predictable and ordinary.

Chilli Crabs


A staple at every seafood dinner surely. Both of our tables had two large servings of chilli crabs (with accompanying deep-fried mantou buns) to make sure our dinner was complete. I can't say the chilli crabs were fantastic; in fact it was the most "touristic" (for the lack of a better word or description) of the dishes we had for the night, in large part because it wasn't as spicy as many of us would have liked it to be. Gravy could have been a bit smoother and less clumpy too.

Service
Good. Language barrier though.

Price
$398++ for the corporate set menu
$100++ for each large serving of chilli crabs

Place
Singapore Flyer, #01-01.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Mellben Seafood

Mellben Seafood needs little introduction actually, having appeared on various print, online and blog reviews, and with most of them heaping much praise on its famous crab dishes. There's two Mellben outlets, one at Toa Payoh and the other at Ang Mo Kio, and this blog post is a write-up on the latter. All I can tell you is, I'm getting all hungry just typing this and looking at the pictures of the delicious crabs.

Sambal Fried Rice


First of course, we ordered a few other dishes to get dinner going. The Sambal Fried Rice was actually quite good, better than what we had expected, though it did mean much more carbohydrates filling our tummies early on into the meal. It was not overly spicy and had a healthy portion of shrimps to chew on.

Crispy Beancurd


The Crispy Beancurd was quite a misnomer in itself, because it wasn't crispy to begin with. Mixed reviews on this all around the table, but as for me I didn't like this that much because it was all just starch and paste.

Cereal Prawns


The Cereal Prawns were definitely tasty, but admittedly quite typical as well. The tiny chilli padis added a little zest to the sweet, buttered cereals, while the few curry leaves gave it all a slightly more distinct flavour. Me, I was happy just sitting there and eating spoonful after spoonful of the cereals.

Chilli Crabs




Ahh, my favourite of the night surely, and Mellben does do a really fantastic job at it. Three pictures right there to jolt your Chilli Crab cravings to no end! The thick gravy was adequately spicy (my friend Stella did mention that she prefers it even spicier) and was quite addictive. Most importantly, the crabs were very fresh, thanks I'm sure to their high daily turnover. Very good stuff.

Butter Crabs



I can't say the same for the Butter Crabs, but this is really a personal preference since my friends actually liked the buttered ones more. Perhaps it had something to do with the way the crabs were arranged and the way they were staring at me throughout dinner. Taste-wise, I suppose it was just a bit too buttery and salty for my own liking. I wish we had room for black pepper crabs, but that just means a return visit is on the cards!

Fried Man Tou Buns


Of course, lap it all up with some mini deep-fried man tou buns :)

Service
Contrary to some reviews, service here was alright, just not the most friendly. I guess with crowds every night they are really just focused on clearing tables, taking orders and making room for new customers. Go on weekday nights, I went on a Monday and only had to wait for ten minutes.

Price
About $180 for all.

Place
Blk 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, #01-1222.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Seafood @ East Coast Lagoon

The weekend is here again and I know many of you working people are walking about with a wider smile on your face and with an extra bounce in your step. I guess I will know how it really feels like (sans my experience in various internships) once I start work on... 1 June!

Till then, food posts will still be coming your way, and I promise you the entries on Italy and Kuala Lumpur will be up next week! There might be a piece of good news too for this blog, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, here are just some pictures of my dinner at my favourite seafood stall (no pork, no lard) at my favourite hawker centre in Singapore - East Coast Lagoon Hawker Centre. Just to get you in the mood to have some good food this weekend! :)

Sambal Kangkong


Don't forget your greens!

Steamed Prawns


Served with sambal chilli and mayo.

Mussels in Spicy Sauce


Finding those pearls under the shells.

Chilli Crab


A personal favourite, dip it with deep-fried mantou buns!

Black Pepper Crab


For that extra spicy zest... yum!

Place
East Coast Lagoon Hawker Centre,
My recommended (no pork, no lard) stall is situated close to Stall 40, Lagoon Carrot Cake, another great stall with delicious carrot cake!

Additional Comment
For those with a larger budget, I would recommend No Signboard Seafood Restaurant :)

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

No Signboard Seafood @ Robertson Quay

The new No Signboard Seafood: The Kelong at Robertson Quay is barely four months old but it is already one of my favourite places for (up-market) seafood. As you can probably tell from the picture above (see those red paper lanterns?), this post is long overdue, but there's always a time for a delicious post right? :)


One of the things I like about this Robertson Quay branch of No Signboard is the ambience. While it isn't anywhere near the canal or river, it is still in a fairly peaceful vicinity with less crowds, if not, less boisterous crowds for that matter. There's also semi-private areas for families to dine in, though these can be somewhat warmer because of the lighting. Service here is tops as well, with the wait staff and manager being very accommodative with special requests and with any other help with the menu. We were definitely off to a good start.

Deep-Fried Chicken Wings


There were a few children at the table, so these were meant for them and their simple diets. I can only say that these were wonderfully delicious, just look at how they (the chicken wings, not the children) were fried to a crisp, golden-brown. Juicy, tender insides too, if I may add.

Deep Fried Honey Marinated Chicken Wings


You must be thinking, chicken wings again? But yes, because the previous dish was so good, we ordered another one, albeit with a slight difference this time round with a honey marinate. These turned out to be too sweet for my liking though, so I still preferred the original crispy deep-fried chicken wings.

Sauté Scallop with Peppered Black Bean Sauce


The scallops were fresh and thankfully, not overdone. The peppered black bean sauce was not too overwhelming and added a balanced overall flavour to the dish.

Claypot Beancurd


This is a typical dish, again for the children (yawn...). Nothing overly impressive, but at least I like the way that the beancurd was prepared - slightly hard coating but so soft, silky and smooth on the inside.

Steamed Seasonal Fish


Fish fans would love this for sure. A whole large and fresh slab of (deboned) steamed fish that's adequately firm and tender. Simple, but delicious indeed.

Chilli Crab


Ahh, at every seafood dinner, this has to be what everyone waits eagerly for. The chilli crab from No Signboard certainly did not disappoint, and I dare say it's even better than the one I had from Jumbo Seafood last year. People who like their chilli crabs spicy with a thick gravy base would definitely love this. While not in the premium league as the Australian snow crab or Alaskan king crab, this Sri Lankan crab still impresses in size and has a lot of fresh meat to it. Full marks.

Other Dishes

We also ordered a couple of other dishes which I did not take pictures of. The Mushrooms with Vegetable was a simple and decent dish, while the Crispy Cereal Prawns were quite well-done - but as always, I find myself enjoying the cereals more than the prawns! Meanwhile, the White Pepper Crab was actually even better than the chilli crabs in terms of taste, but it's a pity that there wasn't much gravy to soak in the addictive spiciness of it all.

Service
Excellent.

Price
$10.00 for the deep-fried chicken wings
$12.00 for the deep-fried honey marinated chicken wings
$20.00 for the sauté scallop with peppered black bean sauce
$10.00 for the claypot beancurd
$40.00 for the steamed (seasonal) fish
$52.00 for the chilli crab
$52.00 for the white pepper crab
$20.00 for the crispy cereal prawns
$18.00 for the mushrooms with vegetables
$3.00 for a dozen of mini mantou buns
$1.00 for each serving of steamed rice

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

Place
11 Unity Street, #01-18/29 Robertson Walk.

Additional Comment
Game for dessert? Laurent Bernard is a MUST-TRY! :)

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

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.

It's All About Taste @ Ibis Hotel

It's past midnight but I'm just about game to start typing on this potentially long post about my recent dinner at It's All About Taste, an Asian-cuisine restaurant located at Ibis Hotel along Bencoolen Street. On quieter nights like these, it's my blog that keeps me company as my fingers race across the keyboard... Type, type, type. It does gets me hungry though.


It's All About Taste features some of the most popular local delights all under one roof, and if you're thinking where you can give your friends from overseas a quick run-through of the "must-eats" in Singapore, this could just be the place. Note that I'm not suggesting the food here is the standard, for I'm sure it would take you all around the island to find the "best" (subjective, subjective) rendition of each dish on It's All About Taste's menu.


So as the name and tagline of this place suggests, it's really more about "simply trying everything" that Singapore could offer. A good introduction surely, and especially one that is endorsed by celebrity food guru KF Seetoh of Makansutra. I heard he helped to develop the recipes and design the menu, so you can imagine that I had some measure of heightened expectations for dinner.


Just a shot of a small part of the dining area, which is quite large, well-lit and fairly comfortable as a mid-range restaurant would be. This is after all within the premises of a budget hotel (albeit part of a well-known international chain) so don't expect much fine-dining here. Service however is tops, you feel very welcomed here amidst the smiles and polite service crew.


A glimpse of the menu, recognise many local dishes yes? It's All About Taste goes by "set meals" where you choose three, four or five dishes for $15++, $18++ and $22++ respectively. I applied for the DBS Platinum Visa Card and got a one-for-one voucher, so it made a visit here all the more worthwhile. Do check your cards to see if there's any promotions.


Finally, food here is served "tapas" style, so don't be too alarmed about ordering three to five main courses in a single sitting. Smaller portions of course, but the larger the group you come with, the more variety you get :)

Char Kway Teow: 2.75/5


We'll start with the char kway teow since it's the first dish on the menu. This serving of fried noodles turned out to be a disappointment as it tasted quite bland, and even despite the rather generous amount of ingredients.

Chilli Crab: 4.25/5


Probably the best dish of the night, though I wished I didn't leave it to turn cold. It looked almost too simple, just a small mantou bread with a similarly small crab pincer, but underneath the thick, sweet gravy was an unexpected amount of yummy crabmeat. All there without having the need to pry open any shells. If there is a "full" version of this dish, I would love to come back for more.

Chicken Rice: 3.75/5


Yeap, chicken rice can definitely come cheaper elsewhere but I had a sudden craving for it then. It turned out better than expected, the rice was fragrant and flavourful while the chicken was tender and fresh. I liked this.

Popiah: 3/5


The springroll looked quite big when it arrived, but on closer look it was only because the popiah "skin" was wrapped around the fillings quite a number of times, making it a bit too thick for my friend's liking.

Carrot Cake: 2.5/5


This was edible, and so was... passable. Thing is, it was really just the radish cake with fried egg, and was devoid of the crunchy "chye poh" (salted radish) that is a quintessential ingredient to any decent carrot cake. Quite bland too.

Wok-Fried Beef: 3.5/5


Pretty tasty, tender slices of beef. Not the most filling dish to order though, but good as a side.

Sweet and Sour Prawns: 4.25/5


Very satisfying dish, and we really should have ordered more of these. Crunchy prawns in a crisp batter, cooked with a sweet lip-smacking sauce. Yums.

Nasi Lemak: 3.75/5


Here's a small sample of one of our favourite breakfast dishes. Delicious rice with delicious fried chicken. My friend enjoyed this more than she thought she would.

Barbecue Stingray: 2.25/5


Ah, the stingray, I've no idea where to start. This has got to be the worst barbecue sambal stingray that I've ever eaten. The meat was so tough and dry that I actually thought it was the cartilege, while the sambal chilli was too clumpy, cold and paste-like. Eeks.

Beef Hor Fun: 4/5


As you can tell, there's hits and misses at It's All about Taste, but at least hits like the beef hor fun here (or the chilli crab and sweet and sour prawns) still make it a fairly decent and filling dinner overall. The stir-fried noodles here had a slight "wok hei" flavour, which can be quite difficult for most hotel restaurant kitchens to achieve. I like the thickness of the gravy and how it went well with the soft noodles and tender beef.

And there you have it! Not the best pictures I know, they were all taken in record time, but I hope you enjoyed the review. It's 1.30am now and I'm hungry, hungry, hungry! More food posts lined up, stay tuned :)

Service
Excellent.

Price
$15++ for three dishes,
$18++ for four dishes,
$22++ for five dishes.

Place
Ibis Hotel, Bencoolen Street.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.