Beijing, China: Novotel Xin Qiao

During my week-long holiday in Beijing I stayed at the Novotel Xin Qiao hotel, located just next to the Chongwenmen subway station and a leisurely 10-minute walk to the prime Wangfujing shopping district. I would have opted for Novotel Peace Hotel for its slightly better location, but it was fully booked so I made do. Since I had the Accor Club Gold Card (which gives me a free upgrade in Accor Group hotels) Xin Qiao turned out to be quite pleasant indeed. For your info, everything you see here was paid for (and earned) by myself alone, so you're not going to see a "Thank you blah blah blah" at the end of this post. You wouldn't think I would do sponsored tours and holidays and then be reduced to a sad mouthpiece, would you?

Fish and Chips


The breakfast buffet at the hotel can be pretty crowded on weekends, so on one of the days I decided to just sit in a while longer and order something simple from the room service menu. And when the Fish and Chips arrived, I was delighted - it really looked more promising than what I had expected it to be.


The fish batter was light and crisp, while the meat inside was amazingly fresh and sweet. It was, in short, delicious, and nothing you would expect from a room service meal. Fries were piping hot and filling, but it was really the well-done fish that was the highlight of the morning. Yums.

Price
98RMB for the Fish and Chips, including taxes.

Place
Novotel Xin Qiao Hotel,
Chongwen District, Beijing.

Additional Comment
In terms of location, Novotel Xin Qiao has its strong points. It's situated between Wangfujing Street and Tian Tan (the Temple of Heaven), so you could walk to either of these places with ease. Tiananmen and Qianmen Dajie are relatively close as well, but if you're tired there's always the taxi and the meter would hardly move from its 10RMB flag-down rate. The subway station meanwhile is a few steps away from the hotel front lobby.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

K.L, Malaysia: Palate Palette

It's a nice play of words, Palate Palette - a mix of food, art and creativity all under one roof. We wouldn't have known about this place if not for some of the K.L food blogs, and I'm glad we made this one of our stops during our trip. There's a very laid-back atmosphere to this little hideout (bar included too by the way) and it makes for a very casual and pleasant venue for gatherings and good conversations.


Decor here is eccentric at best, there's nothing fixed or organised in terms of colours and types of furniture, but somehow or another it just blends together into a lively, artistic "mess" of sorts.


We liked the painted walls, with their floral and space-like motifs filling the otherwise plain white-washed walls.


For a breath of fresh air (and when good weather permits), have a seat outside.

Mushroom Cappuccino


The Mushroom Cappuccino was a slight variation from Palate Palette's mushroom soup, with foam milk on top of the lightly creamed (homemade) stock. I think the table had a preference for thick mushroom soups, so this came out as too diluted for our liking.

Chicken Lollipops


An appetiser to share, but the Chicken Lollipops were quite ordinary and were marginally saved by the roasted chilli mayo dip that's served alongside the dish.

Lamb & Onions


Not everyone takes to lamb because of its "smell" and "taste" (I'm using inverted commas here because I personally don't see anything wrong with lamb), but the Lamb & Onions helps in more ways than you can imagine with the delectable medley of Honey Worchestershire marinade, mint yogurt sour cream and dash of curry spices. This was our favourite dish for the afternoon - top marks for creativity.

Fish & Chips


A crowd favourite, the Fish & Chips was aesthetically pleasing with the skewer of potato and yam chips. I thought the chips outshone the otherwise typical breaded Dory fish. Interesting addition of fried wanton skins, but it didn't quite fit somehow.

Cappuccino Crush


Ease off the warm weather with an ice-blended Cappuccino Crush, guaranteed for that sugar and caffeine rush :D

Price
RM20++ for the set lunch, consisting of an appetiser/soup, a main course and a drink.

For more info on the menu, click here.

Place
21 Jalan Mesui
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Bloggers Outing: Chef Daniel's Kitchen

Ahh, those memories of Chef Daniel's Kitchen at Iluma. I miss my monthly blogger outings, I really do. Ever since I've started work, it's been close to impossible to find time to meet the rest, and already I'm watching a couple of outings slip by past me because I'm so occupied with work. For now, outings like this one I'm blogging today would serve as pleasant memories, and a small ray of hope perhaps, as I await the next food blogger outing.


Sometime last month we organised a gathering at Chef Daniel's Kitchen at Iluma, which if you hadn't known is situated directly opposite Bugis Junction. It was a bittersweet kind of gathering actually, sweet because it was a meet-up after quite a while with fellow like-minded friends, bitter because it was a farewell lunch for Lorraine since she would be migrating to the Netherlands the following week.


Like always, the cameras would be whipped out once the first dish arrives, the bloggers snapping furiously away for that one perfect shot and without much of a care if the food was turning cold. Normally we would be passing the food around, but the long table kinda forced us to get out of our seats and go round the table. It sure did look messy, but at least it was good fun. As tradition goes, here is the guest list for the day, with a few new faces :)

Dorothy from Dotinabox
Charlene from Foodoshoot
Glenn from Hungry Epicurean
Harris from The Simplest Aphrodisiac
Phoebe and Chloe from The Food Chapter
Daniel and Lay Sian from Memoirs of Food
Lorraine from The Hungry-Trotting Couple
Fen and Yuan from Indulgence After Work-Out


The venue for our outing was, coincidentally so, recommended by Daniel (no relations whatsoever to the Chef), and is a cosy, rooftop diner that is more popular than you would expect. Chef Daniel's Kitchen set lunch, which we all had, is affordably priced at $10.50nett and comes with a soup, a drink and a dessert. Let's roll out the food, shall we?

Focaccia Bread


Any diner that serves warm and soft focaccia bread gets a thumbs-up from me. Focaccia is definitely one of my most favourite breads out there.

Cream of Corn Soup


The soup-of-the-day, the Cream of Corn Soup wasn't very memorable and could have been better if it was a bit thicker.

Grilled Beef Burger


Almost everyone knew what I was going to order: Beef Grilled Burger. I probably have the reputation of being the biggest carnivore and burger fan amongst my food blogger peers, and I know next in line would have to be Phoebe for sure. I thought the beef burger was alright, though a tad small. The patty was a little too moist as well but nevertheless it was saved by the tangy tomato pickles that added some extra flavour to the burger. Read on to see what the rest ate!

Tonkatsu Don


Lorraine liked her Tonkatsu Don, and remarked that she actually likes the tonkatsu here as compared to the one served at Tampopo because of the way it was breaded as well as how there weren't much (if any) fats to the cutlet. Charlene, who had the same dish as well, wrote that the tonkatsu "wasn't exactly very deep fried, and there was a hint of lemon in every slice", which she loved.

Fish and Chips


Fen thought the Fish and Chips was average, but at least it wasn't too oily as some others are.

Here's some others which I don't really know how they went, but still, something to feast your eyes on!

Prawn and Crabmeat Burger


This looked really good, and I'm sure it tasted quite good too!

Lamb Stewed Navarin



Pork Netsuke



Raspberry Mousse Cake


The dessert-of-the-day, the Raspberry Mousse Cake, was a sweet and simple dessert to wrap up the meal. While not mind-blowing, it was decent enough for me.

Service
Very good.

Price
$10.50nett for each set lunch, which includes a soup, a drink, a choice of main course, and a dessert.

Place
Iluma @ Bugis, #07-02/03.

Additional Comment
Thank you Fen and Yuan for the first two pictures on this post.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Botak Favorites @ Woodlands

Many of you must have asked this before: Is Botak Jones halal? Well, it wasn't, but now it is, well part of it. To be more precise, Botak Jones has opened two Halal-certified outlets in Singapore (stand up and cheer my Muslim friends!) in Woodlands and Bedok, and to avoid confusion these outlets have been renamed as "Botak Favourites". Rejoice as you can now enjoy the cheap and good beef from Botak Jones!

The Botak Burger
With Fried Egg and Sauteed Onions Add-ons


Botak Jones' signature Botak Burger has been my staple in all of my visits to Botak Jones. While the patty had shrunk in last year's visit to the Toa Payoh outlet, it has since regained it weight and beefiness this time round, and it really is very good for the price that I am paying.


And oh, don't you know I really really love my fries? As always, double servings of the good fries from Botak Jones. As you could already tell, I had add-ons of a fried eggs and sauteed onions for the added flavour. My favourite low-frills burger aside from Burger Bench and Bar.

Botak Jones NZ Sirloin


Again, good value is the order of the day, and the Botak Jones NZ Sirloin Steak is good quality steak for a low price tag of just $12.90. Very tender too, even for such a fairly thick cut.

Botak's Fish and Chips


For the more boring sods, there's always Botak's Fish and Chips, which though alright, isn't impressive at all when compared to the beef. Love yourself, and love the ecosystem and don't disrupt the food chain with your sorry diets people. Love and eat beef, moderately of course. Moo.

Service
Place your own orders at the counter, but your food will be delivered to you. Be prepared to wait during peak hours.

Price
$8.00 for the botak burger set
$1.00 for fried egg add-on
$1.00 for sauteed onions add-on
$12.90 for the botak's nz sirloin steak
$7.50 for the botak's fish and chips

Place
892C Woodlands Drive 50,
Coffeeshop underneath the carpark (11.30am - 10pm)

Also: Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe
357/359 Simpang Bedok (6pm - 4am)

Both of these outlets are Halal-certified.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Greenwood Fish Market Bistro

I just love lunch with the fishies, I really do. You may know me as an ardent fan of all things beef, but I do like my fish as well, especially when it's done the way I personally like it to be - steamed, grilled or pan-fried. Greenwood Fish Market Bistro is definitely one of the places I would recommend if you want to eat some good quality fish, even more so when you're craving for something other than the typical fish and chips. It certainly is pricey (at least, by my standards), but I do think it's worth your money if eaten once in a while.

Reservations here are a must as it can get crowded during meal times. Contrary to some of the online reviews, the service here is very good, with the wait staff being very friendly and polite and always keen to help with recommendations on the catch(es) of the day. They do make the occasional mistake in your order, but I'm usually very patient on things like this, especially if they are sincere about it. If you lack patience, you can choose to cool yourself down with a glass of bubbly, as two glasses of Piper Heidsieck go for only $24.95++. That's quite a steal considering it's pretty good quality stuff.


Seafood Chowder


Lunch sets go at $26.95++ and comes with a soup, the main course and coffee/tea. You can choose to add on $2.95++ for the Seafood Chowder, which is worthwhile if the soup of the day is some boring-sounding vegetable soup. I like the chowder a lot because of the coriander chilli oil that gives the soup a hint of spiciness. The seafood ingredients, while not numerous, were fresh.

Mushroom Soup


An example of the soup of the day. My friend commented that it was a bit too watery for his liking. As you can see, a top-up to the seafood chowder, or even the lobster bisque, is necessary.

Grilled Barramundi


The Barramundi is one of my top favourite fishes at Greenwood Fish Market Bistro, and I absolutely love the way it is always so immaculately grilled. The meat was so fresh, moist and tender that I had to constantly slow myself down from finishing it all up so quickly. The skin meanwhile was nicely crisp.


The fish is normally served with "starch" (fries or mashed potato) and salad, so you can guess that the dish in the first picture above, with double servings of fries, belongs to me. You can always choose to go for double servings of salad like a friend of mine (as in the picture preceding this paragraph), but do remember that this wouldn't fill you up as much as potatoes.

Pan-Fried Blue Cod


In a separate visit I also tried the Blue Cod, which is a temperate marine fish found exclusively in New Zealand. An interesting trivia (I'm not too sure how credible this information is) on Wiki states that the "blue cod can also change sex from female to male"! I wonder how is that possible. But anyway... the pan-fried blue cod is softer and even more tender than the barramundi, but somehow or another I still prefer the taste and texture of the latter. Just a personal preference.

Pan-Fried Black Cod


More commonly known as the Chilean Seabass, the Black Cod comes at a lower price tag than the blue cod, but I feel it tastes better actually. My friend enjoyed this a lot. Also worth mention is the mashed potato, which was smooth and delicious, even if terribly simple.

Battered Fish and Chips


My friend prefers his Fish and Chips from Fish & Co., but he added that this was only because he prefers the batter there. In terms of freshness and texture, it seems Greenwood still fares better than its more famous counterpart.

Service
Very good.

Price
$26.95 for the set lunch
+$2.95 for the seafood chowder
$21.95 for the grilled barramundi (ala carte)
$26.95 for the black cod (ala carte)
$29.95 for the blue cod (ala carte)
$24.95 for two glasses of Piper Heidsieck

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

Place
34 Greenwood Avenue
Behind NJC and/or Raffles Girls Primary School.
Reservation number: 6467-4950

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Relax Bistro

Relax Bistro is one of the new eateries in 313 @ Somerset that has won a thumbs up from me for good food, good ambience, and good service. I like the way this place tries to keep things simple with its menu and how it doesn't attempt to be anything pretentious.


Looking at the decor, Relax Bistro can be one of the two things: a pleasant place for a simple dinner date, or a venue for a lively girls' night out. Of course, I was here for neither of the two (especially the latter because I don't need to appear "controversial" to be popular haha!), but I sure did have a great time catching up with my friends over dinner and drinks. And oh, speaking of drinks, iced water here is served with strawberries instead of the usual lemon, a thoughtful and refreshing touch indeed!

Sundried Tomato Aglio Olio
Linguine with prawns and sundried tomato pesto, garlic, olive oil and bird's eye chilli


Stella strongly recommended this and we both decided to have one each. I have to admit that the first word that came to mind was actually from the Singlish lexicon: "Shiok!" I really like the spiciness of this pasta dish and how it matched so well with the fragrance and taste of olive oil. Prawns were crunchy and juicy as well. Overall, this could be perfected with the addition of a few calamari or so, otherwise it would be a little pricier than it should be.

Breaded Fish and Chips
Fish and chips served with tartar sauce and mesclun salad


Decent fish and chips, even if I myself would prefer a thicker batter than one that is breaded. Leona thought this was quite alright, remarking that the fish was fresh, but it would have been better if the slices weren't so thin.

Service
Excellent.

Price
$17.90 for the sundried tomato aglio olio
$14.90 for the breaded fish and chips

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

Place
313 @ Somerset, #02-38/39.
Near Esprit and Cold Rock Ice Creamery.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Re!Fill @ Hotel Re!

Hotel Re! is certainly known for its uniquely-decorated rooms but its more down-to-earth restaurant on the other hand is relatively unknown. Me, the family and the girlfriend were here for dinner just yesterday and we didn't quite know what to expect when we arrived at this humble little eatery. Still, at the end of the day, we felt that the food was decent enough and we appreciated the good service shown by the waitresses on duty.

Chicken Teriyaki: 3.75/5


Three of us at the table ordered this and when it arrived we all stared at the portions in mock disbelief because it was quite small - the serving of rice for instance was barely half the size of my fist. What saved it all was the juicy and tender chicken fillets topped with sweet teriyaki sauce, but then we still wished there was more. At least there was the complimentary bread and soup (both part of a set meal that the chef specially whipped up for the weekend) to fill us up. This set meal, which also comes with a small dessert and a cup of coffee or tea, is available every weekdays till 10.15pm. You can check out their set meal promotions here.

Tahu Goreng


My dad also had the tahu goreng (Indonesian deep-fried beancurd with peanut sauce, beansprouts and cucumber slices) in addition to his teriyaki chicken, which we thought was a kinda odd choice for an appetiser because it didn't quite match the main course. I think the tahu goreng was a tad too dry, not just because the peanut sauce was lacking in quantity but also because it wasn't moist enough.

Fish and Chips: 3.25/5


The girlfriend had the typical fish and chips. She thought it tasted a little "fishy" (no pun intended haha) but I thought it was quite fresh actually!

Grilled Seabass Fish


My mother had the grilled seabass fish, which came in an equally small portion as my teriyaki chicken. Still, with all the bread, soup, side of mashed potatoes, dessert and coffee, the set meal as a whole was more filling than we thought and was certainly worth the money.

Thin Crust Pizza


The older of the two sisters had the thin crust pizza, which tasted pretty okay to me. I couldn't quite remember the name of the pizza but it was close to "carnivora", with ingredients like turkey bacon and sausages.

Service
Very good. Warm, friendly and attentive. The waitresses seem eager to help.

Price
$12.80 for the set meal, which comes with free-flow access to the bread bar, soup-of-the-day (campbell soup alert!), main course, dessert and coffee/tea.
$14.90 for the fish and chips
$6.80 for the tahu goreng
$12.00 for the thin crust pizza.

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

Place
Hotel Re! 175A Chin Swee Road.

Additional Comment
"No pork, no lard" menu.

Big D's Grill

I finally made my way down to Big D's after reading so many reviews about it on fellow food blogs. Thanks must go to the best friend for patiently tagging along as we tried to find our way around the HDB blocks in Holland Village. The coffeeshop where Big D is located at is really old, and at noontime the signboard isn't as lighted up as the picture you see above. But they're well in business and I was glad.

Beer Battered Fish and Chips: 4/5


The fish and chips was better than expected, the fish was really fresh and the batter crisp and light. Two healthy portions of fish fillets and a good side of potato wedges made this a filling meal indeed, though I would personally prefer crispy salted shoestring fries (like those from McDonald's!) instead =)

Crabmeat Linguine: 4/5


I recommended the crabmeat linguine to the best friend because it's one of those dishes from Big D's that has had rave reviews from the food bloggers. The best friend, like a trained foodie, commented that there's a "good balance between the sourness and spiciness" of the linguine, but added that the taste of crabmeat was not entirely discernible. She said that the portion was just nice and it was worth the money. I had a forkful of the linguine and thought it was quite good as well.

Service
Good.

Price
$8.90 for the beer battered fish and chips
$10.90 for the crabmeat linguine

Place
Blk 46 Holland Drive, #01-359.
Beside the Buona Vista Bus Terminal / Community Centre.

Additional Comment
First picture source here.