xinyun

Decided to have a quick dinner before the dinner crowd settled in, at around 4pm.

For a weekend afternoon timing, it was quite empty... yet the service was rather inattentive (it took abit of effort to get their attention to get a refill for tea or bill). *sigh*

Order wise, tried their Curry Sukiyaki, seemed more like a normal beef stew in a claypot (especially with all that veges) and lack curry taste. It would be help if they could enhance the curry taste or allow customers to choose a spicier level for curry, like their other curry rice dishes.

I'm not sure about their other items but the sukiyaki was...
Having been to this and their Central Mall branch, I feel the service and food from their Central Mall branch, is better.

2010-11-07

SGD 14(Dinner)

A small bakery along the upper thomson food shophouses, near Thomson Plaza.

Simple white deco, with sitting area for customers who'd want to dine in and chit chat over tea and breads. First impression - brightly lit, so clean and white and friendly staff

I tried the macha red bean bread, something unique, light green tea / macha taste and not overly sweet red bean. A good combination, filling and decently priced.

Not sure if they have any cakes, didn't spot any when i was there around 8pm.

2010-11-15

SGD 1.50(Other)

Had the chance to try it when my ex colleague bought us Pâtisserie Glacé's Rin Rin Original Cheese Tarts for tea break.

Smooth, creamy, no overpowering cheesy taste and best to eat it cold...
At S$3 a piece (based on their site), it is a bit steep as a dessert but it's so good~ (can't wait to get some next week) Definitely would like to try all other available flavors (e.g. Earl Grey & Melon) and other items

SGD 3

Thanks to OpenRice and Red House, I got to try out the new dim sum menu (available during lunch and dinner) and their signature seafood dishes.

Items from dim sum menu:

1) Chili Crab Pau
- filled with every bit of chili crab goodness (the sauce & crab meat) that oozes out upon your first bite. The chefs make the effort to cook the original chili crab dish, de-shell and fill each ‘pau’ with the sauce and crab meat.

2) Char Siew Pastry
- covered in a nice layer of baked to golden brown pastry, that’s flaky and not too heavy.

3) Steamed Pork Rib with Yam
- Usually served with just black beans and overly oily. Red House version of this common dish contains yam, adding fragrance and texture to it. Plus it’s not too oily and would do well with a nice bowl of rice.


Signature dishes:
1) Trio Combination of Chef's Signature Squid
-A platter of grilled, bbq and stirred fried, three different style used. Nice starter to munch on, while waiting for the main seafood dishes.

2) Red House Signature Chili Crab
-Nice thick gravy on fresh and meaty crabs, which is a sweeter, more tomato / not over spicy. No worries to those who are trying it for the first time, pairing it with a nice plate of man tou… yums 

3) Black Pepper Crab
-This is by far, the spiciest I’ve ever had, almost teared. But you’ll get used to it after a while. If you like it spicy, definitely a must try! There’s a White Pepper Crab dish, if you are up for it.

4) Creamy Custard Prawns
- fresh prawns, covered in a nice thick layer of creamy sweet custard and finger licking tasty. Although i was wondering if adding curry leaves would enhance its taste.

5) Spicy Seafood Combination
-felt more of a thai styled curry, a nice mixed of seafood (prawns, fish, squid, scallop), goes well with the man tou we were having or a bowl of rice.

6) Sauteed Baby Kailan with Minced Garlic
-glad to munch on this after so much seafood, the baby kalian were sautéed lightly with garlic, adding fragrance and very crunchy.

Dessert:
1) Yam Paste with Corn
- I asked if I could try this and I would say, after that much seafood, it’s felt good to be able to have some dessert to end the meal. The usual yam paste is slightly chunky and mixed with sweet potato but Red House’s is a nice creamy yam paste with bits of corn, that adds on a natural sweetness and not too jelak. A nice mix (yam & corn), definitely a must try, for dessert lovers.


My favorites and will be back for:
- Chili Crab Pau
- Steamed Pork Rib with Yam
- Creamy Custard Prawns
- Spicy Seafood Combination
- Yam Paste with Corn

A nice place to arrange for family gathering / dinner or small corporate gathering (there were a few that day)... and you can walk off the meal by the river

For a mid week night (Wednesday), it was rather packed.
Seating arrangement wise, it was quite cramp, as they try to accommodate as many diners as they could.

As for service, we were served rather promptly, by the ever so busy but friendly young ladies who were rushing up and down the stairs with food items and trying to get orders right. We were quite amused with the lack of cups, when we asked for ice water, although they did look for some and got us one.

Tried the following items:
1) Butterscotch milkshake – smooth and creamy milkshake but tasted more of vanilla than butterscotch.
2) Lamb Burger – my friend loved the taste, not the usual lamb patties or steak, which has the overpowering lamb smell. EwF’s version was pretty mild and juicy and it came with our choice of spice powdered fries (garlic and herbs) and small serving of Caesar salad.
3) Cheese Burger – nice beef patty, juicy but very normal, with nice match of curry powdered fries and small Caesar salad.
4) Nutella tart – it was highly recommended in reviews, which I can understand why. It was chocolatey or filled with nutella but overly sweet for us to finish.
5) Pear tart – a nice fruit tart, fruity sweetness and I think it would have made an even better dessert, with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

The food and desserts we ordered, were okay / decent, just a tad too salty and sweet for our liking but we wouldn’t mind going back for their fries and try out other desserts on the menu.

2010-10-27

SGD 18(Dinner)

My first impression of Borgata, a quiet and cozy little Italian restaurant with warm lights, a cozy feel (okay, I didn’t spot the bar counter until much later), hidden along the happening bar-filled walkways of Clarke Quay.

The restaurant manager recommended the usual favorites of starters, pizzas and pastas, which includes a customized / unique pasta by Chef Andrea, just for us

Borgata’s Stracciata truly got me drooling and wanting more, thinly sliced meat with loads of herbs and Parmesan cheese on a bed of salad and truffle oil… *yums*

As for pizza and pasta, it’ll be the Napoletana (anchovies on thin crust pizza), Spaghetti Alle Vongole (spaghetti with clams in white wine sauce) and the customized pasta (tiger prawns and scallops pasta), though dishes are slightly stronger in taste but left a lasting yummy impression.

And the desserts were lava cake and tiramisu.
The lava cake or molten chocolate cake, after being set on fire by the waiter, was simply creamy and divine for chocolate lovers.

As for their tiramisu, there was a hint of orange in the soaked savoiardi as Cointreau was used (not the usual version I’m used to) and a layer of crunchy bits, which tasted like biscuits. Although I was looking forward to traditional tiramisu, Borgata’s version was pleasant and a refreshing change.

A nice choice for a date and / or a quiet dinner with friends, to catch up and enjoy lovely Italian food.

Not to forget, a big thank you to OpenRice and Borgata, for the invite and chance to experience Italian cuisine

Tried the medium Peach & Mango with peach toppings, not overly sweet, sufficient for two to share and doesn't leaves you wanting to get a drink.

Definitely a healthy alternative for a hot day.
And for this branch, there's free wifi for its customers (didn't try it thou).

2010-07-25

SGD 6(Other)

Soup:
The usual choices, like chicken, ma la, tom yum... etc.
But if you want something fancier, the servers will be delighted (or slightly pushy) to recommend some, with an additional S$12 cost or more.

Food:
Slightly different from those Bugis steamboat places (eg. you wouldn't find crabs or 'lala' on the buffet list) but there will be starters / side dishes / desserts included, eg. xiao long bao, fried spring rolls, waterchestnut kueh and 8 treasure sweet porridge (slight similarity to buloh hitam).

Service:
We called in advance and the manager gave us a room, as our group was rather big (7person), which was a good thing, as the sitting area outside was rather squeezy.
Aside from looking and acting grouchy, our server was great. She helped us with the orders, estimated the quantity to serve and even estimated when we'll stop eating.

The place was filled with diners, even on a weeknight (Wed). So do make reservations before heading down.

I've always had very low expectations for steamboats. Not that I don't enjoy it but had always been a rather straightforward experience, grab / drop / cook / eat. And as said above, with that low of a expectation and it was my first visit to The Magic of Chongqing Hot Pot, it was surprisingly an enjoyable one.

Just love the soup and sides

Hope to revisit it soon.

2010-06-30