Spice Brasserie is the in-house restaurant of Parkroyal on Kitchener Road Hotel where daily lunch and dinner buffets are served. This time, we were on …
Spice Brasserie Parkroyal Kitchener Road Lunch Buffet Review!
what to eat in singapore
Would we go back to Common Man Coffee Roasters again?
Common Man Coffee Roasters located at 22 Martin Road (walking distance from Boat Quay) is a new cafe that serves up gourmet breakfast and coffee.
Common Man Coffee Roasters is actually quite an “ATAS” (high class) cafe. The setting is quite elegant and classy yet there remains a casual feel to it.
As you can see from the price, the gourmet breakfasts cost in excess of $20. The eggs benedict we tried costs $24. Well, the real question is…is it worth it?
The organic eggs benedict has the following description
“Tender braised ox cheeks, 2 poached organic eggs with chive hollandaise with artisanal sourdough toast”
Sounds good? In fact it tastes better than it sounds. The ox cheeks was indeed tender and the spices have been infused into the meat. The eggs were very professionally prepared. When you break into the yolk, it oozes creamily (yes an odd word for yolks but it does) unto the toast. The sourdough toast gives an unique spin with its soury taste and crisp outer layer. Together the egg,toast,ox cheek fuses into one magical taste. Simply divine.
On the other hand, we couldnt really appreciate the gourmet cappuccino. To us, it was a little bitter and slightly acidic. We also ordered the Churros…
The Churros again were quite expensive. $12 for 5 sticks! But it was good. The outer later was lightly dusted with sugar and crispy on the initial bite. But as you chew on, the texture quickly turns to a soft chewy texture. With the chocolate dip, the churros tasted especially shiok.
Herein lies the problem, all this “divine” and “shiok” tastes come at a price and the total damage was…
We had tried to save by ordering one main and one coffee. But the price was already close to $50.
The Verdict
Our verdict? The eggs benedict was really unlike any eggs benedict we have tried. The sourdough toast made the difference and the churros was good. But for the price, you will really need to think twice.
We think that it would be good to visit just once, just to know how delicious simple and fresh ingredients can come together to create that unbelievably good taste. Otherwise, for the price, it would be unlikely that we’ll come back again.
Isn’t it ironic that the cafe is named “Common Man…” when the common man will really have to dig deep to eat here…
Have you visited Common Man Coffee Roasters? Tell us in the comments section below!
Celebration @ Serenity : Spanish Bar and Restaurant VivoCity!
Recently, we had a celebration at Serenity at VivoCity. It is a Spanish bar and restaurant, touted as having some of the best tapas (appetizers) in town. The fame of its suckling pigs and paella also preceded its name. Hence, we decided to have our small celebration there and also check out the food at this Spanish joint.
Decorations at Serenity
Ambience at Serenity VivoCity
With the posters depicting various parts of Spain as well as the decorations that contributes to a relaxing atmosphere, Serenity gave us quite a good first impression. With prompt service, we were quickly tucked to a cozy corner of the restaurant where we could have our mini celebration. (Do note that this is not an advertorial and we did not inform the management about the celebration)
What to drink at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant
They say (or the menu says) that a visit to Serenity is never complete unless you have tried its Sangrias. So we believe and ordered 3 Sangrias…
Classic Red Sangria Serenity – (Red Wine, Gin, Brandy, Orange Liquor, Juices, Lemonade)
Sangria Pantera Rosa @ Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant – (Red Wine, Raspberry Schnapps, Mixed Berries, Mint, Tonic)
Sangria De Coco – (White Wine, Malibu, Pineapple Juice)
Well, the verdict was not conclusive. Everyone had their own favourites. I liked mum’s Sangria De Coco while Kate loved the Classic Red. Bro enjoyed the Pantera Rosa. From another perspective, the conclusion is that there’s really a sangria suited for everyone! 🙂
What to eat at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant
Deep Fried Spanish style cod fish cake
For tapas, we tried the cod fish cake. It was not that good. After our crab cakes lesson from USA, we should have avoided “seafood cakes” altogether. Though the crust was crispy, the insides did not do justice to the cod. Well, we’ll leave it as that. Next came the mains…
Paella Valenciana – (Saffron, chicken, Spanish chorizo, tiger prawns, squid, half shell mussels, rice)
1/2 Roasted Suckling Pig
Pollo con samfaina – (Roasted spring chicken stuffed with Spanish style vegetable rice)
Do note that the Paella and Roasted Suckling Pig are hot favourites at Serenity and will take about 30 mins to 1 hour of preparation time (depending on the crowd). Hence, if you’re ordering it, sit down, order these before looking at the rest of the mains or tapas.
Paella. Our favourite has got to be the Paella. Its said that the secret lies in the grains and Serenity uses the Boomba which is able to absorb flavours up to three times as much as normal grain. This move proved to be wise. The Paella was SOOOOOOOOOO flavourful. All the flavours of the ingredients were fused into the tiny grains and bursts forth as you take each mouthful of it. The only comment is that although the ingredients (prawns, mussels) were fresh, the manner of preparation dried them a little too much.
Roasted Suckling Pig. The roasted suckling pig proved to be a favourite as well. At $98++ it had better be good. And it was. The skin was light and crispy. The meat was tender, almost falling off the bones. The combination of the crispy skin and flavourful tender meat? Yummilicious!
In terms of flavour, the roasted chicken was ok. But the rice that went along with it was actually quite good. A little bit sticky but rich in flavours. Perhaps thats where all the flavours of the chicken went to…
Conclusion
The total bill came up to $300+ for 5 people. A little on the ex side. But the authentic Spanish taste did tilt the balance. I mean if you fly 5 people to Valencia to taste the Paella, it would have cost a few thousand bucks right? Hence, for the authentic taste and refreshingly good Sangrias, we give it a thumbs up.
But not too often, else it might just burn a hole in your pocket!
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In our comments section below, tell us more about your visit to Serenity Bar and Restaurant at VivoCity!
Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura : Is it Worth the Wait?
Tim Ho Wan, the famous Hong Kong michelin-starred dim sum restaurant has opened its first outlet outside Hong Kong – right here in Singapore @ Plaza Singapura!
Tim Ho Wan @ Plaza Singapura
View of the seatings @ Tim Ho Wan Singapore
Queue for dim sum at Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura
If this is your first time eating at Tim Ho Wan, do note that the waiting time can be quite long. As we were eating as a family and needed 8 seats, the staff needed time to re-arrange the seats and wait for patrons to finish up as well. Hence, our total waiting time was close to 2 hours.
HOWEVER, if you are eating as a couple, it is much easier to arrange seats for you. As we were waiting, many couples went ahead of us. Hence, the waiting time for couples is about 30 minutes.
Once you reach the seats in front of the restaurant, you would be given the order chit to have a look at the menu so that you can place orders as soon as you’re seated.
Page 1 of Menu @ Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum
Page 2 of Menu @ Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum
What to order at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Restaurant
If you have no idea what to order at Tim Ho Wan, you definitely wont go wrong with the four heavenly kings (四大天王）- Steamed Egg Cake (香滑马来糕), Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver（黄沙猪润肠）, Baked Bun with BBQ Pork （酥皮叉烧包）, Pan Fried Carrot Cake （香煎萝卜糕）。。。
Four heavenly kings (四大天王） @ Tim Ho Wan Singapore
Pan Fried Carrot Cake （香煎萝卜糕）from Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura
The carrot cake was flavourful, slightly crisp on the outside and layered on the inside with the textures felt as you go in for your first bite.
Steamed Egg Cake (香滑马来糕) from Tim Ho Wan
The steamed egg cake has always been the surprise for us (we’ve tried the original Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok, Hong Kong some time back). This is because it is something sweet! Try having something sweet while you’re having the savoury dim sums. Doesnt sound quite right does it? But the egg cake somehow blends in seemlessly with its mild sweetness, light fluffy texture and fragrant brown sugar taste. Somehow it goes really well with the dim sums at Tim Ho Wan…
Baked Bun with BBQ Pork （酥皮叉烧包）@ Tim Ho Wan
The char siew bao as always been the highlight of Tim Ho Wan. So much so that each person is limited to 1 order of the famous dim sum! Unlike all other buns you’ve ever eaten, it is REALLY crispy on the outside and bursting with char siew flavours on the inside! An ingenious creation indeed. Still remember our first bite at Tim Ho Wan Mong Kok…ahh…
Oh, somehow the Singapore version of the baked bun with BBQ pork fares slightly poorer compared to its HK counterpart. Especially the char siew portion. This version is slightly on the sweet side while the one in HK is on the “Oh” side (“Oh” refers to “Oh, this is really good!”)
We also tried several other dim sums such as
Prawn Dumpling (晶莹鲜虾饺）
Garlic Mushroom Spinach Dumpling (金蒜香菇菠菜饺）
You wont miss much if you do not try these 2. But do try the following (plus beef ball – unfortunately we tucked in too fast and forgot to take photo of it :p)…
Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce （鼓汁蒸凤饺）
Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp (鲜竹卷）
Spring Roll with Crab Meat (螃蟹春卷)
The beancurd skin roll, beef ball and spring roll are the next few dim sums that you must try. The meats of the beancurd skin roll and beef ball are fresh, succulent and sort of dances around in your mouth (partly also because its hot) but still, it was yummy!
The spring roll had a sweet, seafood taste to its fillings. Something that you dont quite usually get with spring rolls (usually vege inside right?)
However, if you have space for only 1 other dish, you MUST ORDER the Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cake (杞子桂花糕)
Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cake (杞子桂花糕) @ Tim Ho Wan
Again, we tucked in ferociously before we took this photo (yes, this is almost the remains of the carcass). The taste was simply REFRESHING! Light refreshing sweetness with lasting tastes of the medlar and osmanthus….did we mention that it was refreshing?
You would definitely enjoy your trip to Tim Ho Wan @ Plaza Singapura. Even our mum who is quite a connoisseur herself (high tea / buffet queen) enjoyed the dim sum at Tim Ho Wan! Hence, we would definitely say it’s worth the wait to eat at Tim Ho Wan (添好运）!
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食客 Ssikkek The Restaurant Guest Korean BBQ and Grill : Great Quality Food!
食客 also known as ” The Restaurant Guest” is a Korean BBQ and Grill franchise. Ssikkek Restaurant has several outlets across Singapore in venues such as United Square, Bras Basah as well as this outlet at North Bridge Road!
Ssikkek Restaurant aka The Restaurant Guest @ North Bridge Road
We arrived at this Ssikkek outlet near Chinatown at about 6:30pm and as you can see from the picture, there was already a crowd outside the restaurant! As recommended by many blogs (including this Singapore Travel Blog), you should always make a reservation prior to visit. We could see from the waiting list that the queue number had already reach about 40 people. Thankfully, we made the reservations and we were seated promptly in less than 5 minutes!
What to eat at Ssikkek Korean BBQ and Grill Restaurant
Actually, we did not know what to eat at Ssikkek. We just saw the queue and made it a point to visit. But as they say, if you see a queue, join it! (eventhough sometimes as Singaporeans, you may not know exactly what you’re queuing for, case in point…)
And we were pleasantly surprised…
Variety of Meats including pork collar, pork belly, bacon and beef steaks
The first thing we noticed at the Restaurant Guest is that there is a good variety of meats. Pork collar, pork belly, bacon, beef steaks, marinated chicken and beef were all available. Other than the meats, there is also a small selection of vegetables, squid, prawns and korean dishes such as kim chi, glass noodles and pancakes…
A few choices of Korean cooked food available
Soft drinks, korean tea as well as orange juice are available as well. Kate made a concoction of sprite with orange which tasted like fizzy orange – not bad at all! The star of the show is of course the meats…
Best meats at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant
Close up of the meats available at Ssikkek Korean BBQ
We’ve tried almost all the meats at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant and we must say that although the variety is not that many, the quality more than made up for it. If you prefer to have some fatty bits in your lettuce wrap (which we ate 3 platefuls of to “act healthy” – who are we kidding right?), go for the pork belly. Otherwise, we recommend the pork collar.
It is quite unusual for pork meats to have white bits in the grains of the meat much akin to Kobe beef. But the pork collar at Ssikkek is one of the best korean grills we’ve had. The meat was tender, juicy (even after the BBQ which usually removes moisture) and had a fresh bite to it. Dipped in some reddish korean BBQ sauce, some kim chi, wrapped in green lettuce and stuffed meticulously into your mouth in 1 big mouthful? Just awesome!
Pros and Cons of eating at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant
Let’s start of the pros shall we? The taste was great. Fresh ingredients, no holds barred on the generosity and quality of the meats. Our BBQ plate was also great. The technology allowed smoke to be directed away from you while the oil seeps away through the seams of the plate, leaving you with awesome, well-cooked meat!
Well, there are 2 main cons. Kate pointed out that there weren’t small dishes as a Korean restaurant should have. You know the small dishes like that of Big Mama Korean Restaurant? Yup, those…
Secondly, we realised that although the restaurant has the technology of the BBQ plate which absorbs the smoke from the BBQ, it is not used throughout the restaurant. As a result of these few plates without the suction, the entire restaurant has a “smoke-filled” environment!
How to get to Ssikkek Korean Restaurant BBQ and Grill at North Bridge Road
Map of Ssikkek Korean Restaurant at North Bridge Road (Oriental Plaza)
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Whether to eat at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant?
The price of eating at Ssikkek is $24++ every night and only $14++ from Mondays to Fridays for lunch. Sundays and PH costs the same at $24++ throughout the day. Ssikkek opens from 12pm to 2:30pm for lunch and 5:30pm to 10pm for dinner.
We say that given the quality and generous servings of meats at Ssikkek, it was really well-worth it. If you do not mind leaving the restaurant smelling of BBQ, great quality korean BBQ awaits you at the Restaurant Guest – Ssikkek Korean and BBQ Grill!
1-for-1 Happy Hour Sangrias at Fandango Chijmes!
If you’re looking for 1-for-1 Sangrias, then head on down to Fandango at Chijmes! Kate and I wanted to chill at Chijmes and we chanced upon the happy hour promotions at Fandango, so off we went! (Ok lah, let’s face it, Sangria is a chick’s drink, so you all can guess who wanted to go hor… :p)
The happy hour at Fandango Chijmes starts from 3pm to 7pm daily and is available for Sangrias, house pours and beers. For Sangrias, it is only available by the glass, not the jug.
Sangrias range from $15 to $18 per glass while costing $60 to $70 per jug. Since there is 1-for-1 promotion during happy hours, it means each sangria only costs $8 per glass! Therefore to let our readers know which are the best sangrias here (who are we kidding?! It’s happy hour!)…
We’ve tried 6 Sangrias (over a span of 3 hours – please pace yourself and remember IF YOU DRINK, DONT DRIVE!) and here they are…
Sangrias We’ve tried at Fandango Chijmes
1. Classic Red Sangria – Red Wine, Cherry Brandy and Orange Juice ($15)
2. Apple White Sangria – White Wine, Cointreau and Apple Juice ($15)
3. Rose Sangria – Rose Wine, Cointreau, Apple and Cranberry Juice ($15)
4. Oriental Sangria – White Wine, Cointreau, Jasmine green tea and Apple Juice ($16)
5. Lychee Sangria – White Wine, Lychee Liquour and Cranberry Juice ($16)
6. White Beer Sangria – Hoegaarden, Cointreau, Apricot Brandy and Apple Juice ($15)
Actually, we enjoyed ALL the Sangrias! But we feel that ladies will definitely dig the sweet Sangrias – Lychee, White Beer and Rose Sangrias. The cool thing is that they all come with fresh fruit bits for the real Sangria feel!
Since we’re at a Spanish restaurant, we decided to try out their Paella and 1 tapas…
Compared to the Paella we’ve tried at Serenity @ Vivocity, the Paella at Fandango pales in comparison. The main reason is because of the rice not being fragrant and flavourful. It does not taste as though the grains have fully absorbed the flavours of the seafood. Plus the texture was a little wet, further evidence that it should have been cooked a little longer – for the texture to be drier and for the flavours to be absorbed into the grain.
Mussels were also a little dry.
However, the saving grace was the prawns. Huge, succulent and do-ing (or “Q” as the Taiwanese would say). When the ingredients are fresh, it shows. It even shows in the pictures right?
The mixed mushrooms was sauteed in garlic, pepper and truffles. Oh so delicious! Although we had it by itself, we could have imagined a perfect match to a bun or some bread…ooh lala!
How to get to Fandango Tapas & Wine @ Chijmes for Happy Hour Sangrias
Fandango is located at Chijmes, a short walk from Raffles City. If you’re taking the MRT, it is a short walk from the City Hall MRT station. However, do note that Chijmes will be undergoing a $45 million renovation / facelift, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.
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So the next time your girl wants to chill out over a glass of Sangria, do check out the Happy Hour at Fandango Chijmes and it could save you a couple of bucks!
Changi Village Food Centre : What to eat there?
Changi Village Food Centre is one of the most famous food centres for Singapore Hawker food. Other famous ones include ABC Brickworks market , Golden Mile Food Centre and Chomp Chomp Food Centre!
What’s there to eat at Changi Village Food Centre?
Nasi Lemak and Longan Red Tea Pudding at Changi Village Food Centre
There are many Nasi Lemak stalls at the Changi Village Food Centre and we came upon the international muslim food stall’s nasi lemak because of its long queue! Long queues equal good food right? So we joined to find out. The wait was only slightly more than 5 minutes and we ordered the fried chicken set. The price was quite steep at $3.50. In terms of quantity, you get an additional piece of drumlet. The chicken was excellent! Crispy on the outside and tender yet juicy on the inside. Im actually salivating as I write this! The rice and chili was quite common. Hence, overall, we’re not really sure if it’s worth $3.5. If it was $2.5, even with 1 less drumlet, we’d definitely recommend it.
Next, we tried the Longan Red Tea Pudding. Yet another famous dessert you must try at the Changi Village Food Centre. Again for $2 bucks, it was a little expensive. But we do recommend it. The taste of red tea in the form of a pudding/jelly was indeed refreshing. Coupled with the evaporated milk, it presented a different form of milk tea altogether!
Battle of the Chicken Chop Ipoh Hor Fun at Changi Village Hawker Centre
Changi Village Chicken Chop Ipoh Hor Fun
As with the battle of the best chilli ban mian in KL, we decided to settle this dispute of the best Chicken Chop Ipoh Hor Fun in Changi Village Food Centre!
Located right in the middle of the hawker centre, there are 2 stalls that sells the delectable chicken chop Ipoh Hor Fun. If you do not notice carefully, you would think that the 2 stalls are one and the same since the signs on the stalls are very very similar. However, we asked the uncle of stall 1 and he said
“No, we are opposition. It is like Samsung, you have and I have.”
There you have it. Since they are “opposition”, we’ve got to settle this dispute right? For Kate, she thoroughly enjoyed stall 1. Actually, stall 1’s chicken resembled that of the taiwanese fried chicken. However, I tell you (overwriting Kate’s recommendation), Amigo’s Chicken Chop Hor Fun is definitely better. Firstly, you see the amount of chicken, it has almost double the amount for the same price of $3.50. Secondly, the chilli is spicy, sweet and aromatic. Thirdly, the chicken itself was crispy, flavourful, chunky and juicy. Last but not least, there was a queue of young army boys there!
So Amigo’s chicken chop ipoh hor fun comes out top in this battle!
Yup, it’s the left one!
Other foods in the vicinity
Mutton Murtabak, Egg and Plain Prata at Changi Village
The total price of the mutton murtabak, egg prata, plain prata and iced coffee was only $10. Have you seen the size of this generous mutton murtabak? The prata and murtabak were all CRISPY!!! The curry was rich, bursting with meaty flavours. A little spicy but it perfectly complemented the crispy and fresh pratas. Yummilicious!
How to get to Changi Village Food Centre
To get to Changi Village Food Centre, you will have to first take the MRT to Tampines MRT station and take bus 29. After a long bus ride, you will reach Changi Village Hawker Centre. However, to avoid all the travelling, why not consider a staycation at Village Hotel Changi? It is just a 3 minutes walk to the food centre and there you can enjoy all the great Singaporean Hawker foods that this famous food centre has to offer!
For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deal at Village Hotel Changi right here!
Best Hotel Deals at Village Hotel Changi!
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So if you’re thinking of what to eat in Singapore, check out the Changi Village Food Centre! Stat!
Chomp Chomp Food Centre : A Trendy Hawker Venue
Chomp Chomp Food Centre has been one of the hawker centres that we have always wanted to visit since time immemorial! (Cheem ah “time immemorial”, teens can consider using it in essays…) Well, for several reasons…
Firstly, if you take a look at the location of Chomp Chomp Food Centre (at 20 Kensington Park Rd) below
You’ll realise that the Serangoon Garden area is a nice little enclave that has amenities (banking, food, supermarket etc.) for the community that lives there. Quaint. Much akin to Holland Village.
Secondly, it is also a nice hangout area for teens and young adults. The al fresco setting, cheap hawker food and the unpretentious vibe, makes Chomp Chomp a great place to meet up with friends.
Last but not least, the food! We’ve tried the Hokkien Mee, BBQ Chicken Wings and Pizza from the first row of stalls…stalls 1,2 and 5 to be precise. Here’s the low down…
What’s there to eat at Chomp Chomp Food Centre
Legend has it that one of the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore is at Chomp Chomp Food Centre. We have yet to try it. Well, it means that the hokkien mee above is not it. Anyone knows which is the one that we should try?
This hokkien mee from stall 1 looks the part. Well arranged with lime at the side, bright red chili and even the thin white noodles that we prefer. However, it lacked the taste. The flavour of the stock was not infused into the noodles and it was the first thing we noticed right off the cuff. The chili was also too spicy! We take chili padi quite often and this chili is definitely not for the faint of heart (or tongue for that matter).
Dear reader, if you stay in the vicinity, please point us to the legendary hokkien mee!
Though not one of the best we’ve eaten, the BBQ wings at stall 2 is worth a try. The meat is still moist with some juices and the chili complimented the taste quite well. At $1.2 per piece, it is in line with the general prices of BBQ chicken wings.
The other main reason for our visit to Chomp Chomp Food Centre this time round is because of stall 5’s pizza. Friends have shared with us that the pizzas are only going for $3.90 each and there is also a variety of tastes to choose from. We chose the Tom Yam as well as the BBQ chicken and nope they did not disappoint.
The crust was thin and crispy while the Tom Yam flavour was mild but intriguing. No worries, no “hot” and “sudden” punch here. The prawn was also quite fresh. As for the BBQ chicken, there was a chunky piece of meat on each slice. Yum. Do give it a try and support the entrepreneurs who started this idea!
How to get to Chomp Chomp Food Centre
If you are driving, head to Serangoon Gardens. It is located at 20 Kensington Park Road. If you are going by public, buses 73, 136, 315 and 317 serves the area.
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If you have a great stall to recommend at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, do tell us in the comments section below! Enjoy your next makan at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, we will be sure to visit it again soon!