It was with much trepidation that I stepped into Hua Ting again, after my last disappointing dinner some three years ago. But with favourable reviews all this while, I just had to give it another shot, lest my previous experience was just a one off slip. And with reservations relatively difficult to secure, it added to the allure of a revisit. After all, if so many people are clamouring to get a table there, the restaurant must be doing something right, right?

The interior hasn't changed since my last visit and honestly I think it looks a little dated (it applies to the whole hotel for that matter!) so some mild restoration would probably be in order. We managed to snag a corner window seat that offered a little privacy and personal communication space.

Roasted Duck - One of the renowned dishes of Hua Ting and partly why I was inclined to return. The duck was, to put it simply, excellent. Juicy and tender meat under a layer of crisp skin sans the fats. Coupled with a nice mildly sweet gravy, this dish garnered glowing reviews around the table. It might be good to take notice of the price tag though, as at $38 for half a duck, it's more expensive than half a peking duck in most Chinese restaurants.

Broccoli with Fresh Scallops - I personally liked the scallops, which weren't overcooked (great texture!) and didn't have the overwhelming raw shellfish taste that I dislike. And they were full of natural sweetness to boot. No complaints about the broccoli as well but the addition of walnuts into the picture seemed a little odd, especially when walnuts have a slightly bitter taste to them. But that's just my personal opinion.

Pan Fried Cod Fish - The sight of a chunk of deep fried cod fish sitting atop a sea of algae lookalike gravy (it was spinach) was weirdly soothing but not as appetising as I had envisioned it to be. The fresh cod fish had a nice crisp on the surface but being deep fried, it lost most of its natural sweetness and became rather nausea inducing, especially when the gravy was very bland and failed to add any flavour.

Seafood Fish Noodles - Simply put, the fish noodles were a delight to eat. Thicker than your average noodle with an evident springy texture, the noodles had a hint of fish. Throw in the fresh seafood as well as a savoury, not too coagulated shark bone soup base and you have a recipe for success. Just watch how much you eat as it can get really nauseating after a while.

In all fairness, our meal this time round was better than my previous experience but I am still not quite convinced of Hua Ting's quality, save for the fish noodles and roasted duck. Sure, $202 for 4 pax isn't that expensive but it wasn't exactly a satisfying dinner. Good but lacking in depth.

I've always been quite a fan of California Pizza Kitchen so when they politely asked if I would like to try out their new menu, I simply couldn't say no. So there I was, on a hectic weekday evening, decked out in my Sunday best, hungrily awaiting the onslaught of food.

Moroccan Chicken Salad - One of the latest entries into CPK's salad lineup is the Moroccan Chicken Salad, which comes with a bagful of ingredients such as Moroccan spiced chicken breast, butternut squash, avacado, beets, cranberries, just to name a few. It does sound like a healthy albeit weird combination but I personally found it interesting with the myriad of texture and tastes. But it did get to a point where I didn't exactly know what I was eating due to the mish mash of flavours. If only they had it in smaller portions (half size is still too big in my humble opinion).

Sonora Egg Rolls - Apparently Sonora is a state in northwestern Mexico, which explains the Tex Mex vibe I got from eating the egg rolls. Crisp wanton skin wrapped around grilled lime chicken, roasted corn, black bean salsa, cheeses, roasted mild chillis and the likes - Nice blend of creaminess and a mild corn taste. The ranch dressing was a little like tartar sauce with a bit of spice from the bottled Cholula hot sauce.

Kung Pao Linguine - CPK's interpretation/add on to the traditional Chinese Kung Pao chicken, throwing pasta into the equation. The result? An interesting combination of east and west. The chicken slices were coated with egg and lightly fried. Throw in nuts, the quintessential dried chillis (more for presentation than spice honestly) and Kung Pao sauce and you have something simple yet delightful. It would have been better if the linguine was cooked a little firmer.

Peking Duck Pizza - One of the signature pizzas of CPK and probably the most unusual I've tried so far, the Peking duck pizza had an overdose of hoisin sauce this time round as compared to what I had on my previous trip. Nonetheless, it managed to maintain the chewy and flaky texture of its crust coupled with crispy wonton skins, duck slices and shiitake mushrooms (both of which I failed to notice, probably due to the thick sauce). So who's up for a western take on the peking duck?

Pesto Chicken Pizza - This pizza came in the form of a thin crust. Unlike the thin crust pizzas served in Italian outfits, CPK's version is considered an inbetween. Thinner than your regular thick crust pizzas yet thicker than your usual Italian thin crusts. Taste wise, the pesto base was reassuring with the sundried tomatoes but honestly quite a boring pizza - no twist or turns to entice me to take another slice. But maybe that's because I'm not a huge pesto fan.

The Meat Cravers Pizza - The first thing that hit me when I took a bite of this pizza was that my digestive tract had too much sodium going into it and I was reaching out for my glass of water in an attempt to dilute/neutralise it. While it may sound like a joke (yes it is!), the pizza as a whole was really quite salty probably due to the combination of salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage and bacon. I am a carnivore, but in this case, less is more. Thankfully the crust was nice and the cheese gooey. And of course for that glass of water beside me.

Tiramisu - To be fair, the tiramisu was decent, but not the authentic Italian kind I was more exposed to. For starters, the alcohol wasn't quite prominent and the mascarpone reminded me more of ice cream. Instead of the usual cocoa powder, shaved chocolate was used. Very palatable and best eaten without any preconceived notions of how a tiramisu should taste like.

Chocolate Souffle Cake - No oozing chocolate (which was a disappointment really), but still enjoyable nonetheless with its dense chocolate concentration as well as the nice thick chocolate sauce drizzled over it. Let's not forget the huge scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Sinful comfort food.

Red Velvet Cake - What's interesting about this cake is that the the addition of beet into the mixture gives rise to the layers of red sponge, which is frosted with white chocolate and vanilla bean cream cheese. In reality however, it didn't taste too much out of the ordinary, very much like white chocolate cake with a nice creamy finish.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2010/05/california-pizza-kitchen-iv.html

When a kind anonymous reader left me a comment on my blog about discovering a place that served poutine a couple of weeks back, I was naturally delighted as it's been almost a decade since I had poutine (bar Yella Fellas, which has gone the way of the dodo). And so there I was at Hummerstons, on a lovely Saturday morning, just 2 weeks into brunch service.

Hummerston's interior features visible white bricks and warm lighting coupled with a bar counter and wooden furniture. Rather inviting I must admit but we chose to sit outside on the sidewalk instead, in acknowledgement of the beautiful weather.

Classic Poutine - Evenly cut fries with skin? Check. Brown gravy? Check. Cheese curds? Where's my cheese curds?! Apparently emmental cheese is used in Hummerston's rendition of this classic Canadian dish but honestly, the cheese was almost nonexistent - pathetic to say the least. Give me copious amounts of fresh cheese curds any day. The gravy tasted like the real deal although it did come across as a little too sweet for my liking. Having said that, I'll still recommend giving this dish a try, even if it costs $11 for a rather small portion (think Macdonalds regular fries portion).

Carbonara - This was a very different carbonara from what I'm used to. Al dente spaghetti with generous bacon bits and mushrooms but surprise surprise, no cream sauce. Lots of oil though, which reminded me more of aglio olio than carbonara. But the absence of the cream sauce meant that I could chug down more pasta without feeling nauseous. I sincerely hope, for everyone's health, that the oil Hummerston uses in this dish is olive oil.

Brunch Burger - I loved the burger bun to bits. I kid you not. It was probably the best I've had in eons. Warm, crusty, topped with sesame seeds and layered with a thin spread of mayonnaise. So good that I could just eat it on its own! The patty was done medium well as per request and had crisp bits on the surface with a nice grilled beefy taste. Topped with cheese, egg, bacon, caramelised onions and mushrooms. How's that for a mouth watering combination? A couple of gripes though. The meat had a nicely uneven texture but came across as a little too soft for my liking. Also, get a load on the amount of oil! The accompanying fries were a little too limp and oily for my liking as well. But I did like the tomato chili aioli dip, which had a sweet mild chilli taste sans the heat.

Flourless Chilli Chocolate Torte - Although we were stuffed through and through, we were adamant about trying out Hummerston's desserts. First up was the flourless chocolate torte - dense, rich and not too sweet. I couldn't make out any chili though even though I am quite sensitive to it. Still a decent eat though.

Blackforest Gateau - The blackforest cake was decent but not impressive. Light and airy but lacking in the taste of kirsch. Honestly it would have tasted like pure chocolate cake if not for the pockets of cherries.

A fantastic but heart seizing (oily!) brunch cost the both of us to the tune of $84 after taxes. Not ridiculously expensive if you ask me, especially for the quality of food (desserts are optional though). And service was warm and heart felt. I would definitely be back in a heartbeat for the burger or if I'm craving for poutine. Only condition? Less oil please.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2011/07/hummerstons.html

Framed by soaring windows and opulent Victorian style chandeliers, the dining area exuded indisputable class and finesse. Natural sunlight radiated throughout and filled the place with warmth and cosiness. The 3 man band, which used to be outside the restaurant, has now moved in to take center stage and provide entertainment while you dine.

Variety

Tapas sized dishes used to be "hawked" from table to table and the practice continues but now you have a menu detailing what's on offer, pretty much taking out the guesswork and anticipation of what's coming next. The resident stations include a dessert table, an appetiser table and one whipping up your choice of eggs. Variety on the dessert table seems to have decreased a little though. Last but not least, the main course menu doesn't look like it has changed much ever since my last visit. You get only one serving so choose wisely.

Quality

For the most part, food quality remained consistently good and the use of superior ingredients was evident. However, nothing in the appetisers and mains actually went beyond good except for the seared scallops, which I had multiple servings of. Dessert standards were still up to the mark though, both in terms of aesthetics and taste.

Service

Generally attentive and professional but there was one wait staff who seemed to display sporadic mood swings. Other than that, everything was great. Our drinks came promptly and plates were cleared regularly.

Value for money

With rising inflation, prices for the non alcoholic brunch have gone up to an eye popping $138++/pax, which in my humble opinion, is very much on the high side even though the food is of a certain standard. However if you have the time (we sat there for a solid 3 hrs) and money to spare/burn, you might just be interested.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2011/05/brasserie-les-saveurs-iii.html

Another year has passed and yet another Mother's day celebration. And sticking to the tradition of Chinese restaurants, we settled on Li Bai, the flagship Chinese restaurant of Sheraton Towers Hotel and where I once had a pleasant dining experience at.

Shark Bone Soup - A specialty of Li Bai, the shark bone soup was very light and tasty without the usual nausea inducing factor. The bamboo pith in the soup had a nice crunch to it whilst the fish maw's fishiness was minimal with a mild chewy texture. Sweetness of the soup was enhanced through the use of wolfberries.

Asparagus with Coral Clam and Scallops - Well stir fried, the asparagus retained its crunchiness but the scallops, though big, weren't really firm. I'm not exactly a big fan of coral clams but these were chewy and flavourful from the XO sauce. Definitely a great dish to go with steamed rice.

Homemade Spinach Beancurd - Another signature dish of Li Bai and rightfully so. Silkily smooth and savoury, topped with plentiful mushrooms and dried scallops shreds for that extra taste and texture. Great!

BBQ Pork Combination - We opted for the combination of suckling pig and soya sauce chicken. The chicken had me craving for more with its firm yet tender meat but I couldn't say the same for the pig, which had crackling crisp skin but less than adequate salt level. But maybe I am just used to a heavier salt intake.

Tea Smoked Duck - Fragrant, tender and succulent meat coupled with a tinge of smokiness from the tea, what's not to like? Throw in the crackling skin and a dip of sweet sauce to round up an excellent dish.

Cod Fish - A most interesting dish with the firm cod both sweet and sour from the lemon juice and brushed honey. I personally liked the taste but thought it was a pity that the natural sweetness and richness of the cod was masked over. Topped with pine nuts and chipped ginseng from the extra health boost.

Jellyfish with Topshell - Not my cup of tea so I shall reserve my comments on this save for the fact that the jellyfish was springy and the topshell, chewy.

Fish Paste Noodles with Prawns - I absolutely love fish paste noodles and not many places in Singapore sell it so it's quite a bonus for me if a restaurant happens to have it on the menu. The noodles here were first stir fried, as evident by the little burnt marks on them, then simmered in broth. Deliciously full of bite. However the only gripe I had was that the accompanying prawns didn't have their intestines cleaned out, which really isn't something I would expect from a reputable restaurant like Li Bai.

Mango Sago - Nothing too fancy, coming across more like your average bowl of mango sago with sourish mangoes.

Red Bean Paste Pancake - I was utterly disappointed in the red bean pasta pancake, which sported many layers of flour, excessive oil and a darker than acceptable surface colour from over deep frying. On the upside, at least it was very crisp and not overly sweet, but never again.

An above average dinner for the 5 of us amounted to $419, which wasn't expensive but not exactly cheap either. Quality of food was definitely above average ( save for the desserts) and service was good with our tea constantly refilled and the wait staff ever eager to accede to our every request. I wouldn't say that this ranks amongst the top few Chinese restaurants in Singapore but I would be more than happy to return for its consistency of food.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2011/05/li-bai-ii.html