aletheajane

Ruyi, which means ‘as one’s wishes’ in Chinese, is the first fast-food Chinese restaurant to be introduced in Singapore by the Tung Lok Group. Aimed at diners in search of convenient, good quality Chinese meals at affordable prices and served up pronto, The restaurants offers a choice of over 30 items, ranging from rice, noodles to dim sum delights. My 2 favourites were the minced pork noodles, and carrot cake. Prices were 7+ for noodles to $0.60 or 1.20 for a slice of carrot cake.

Their take away packaging is surely convenient. I chose the Zha Jiang Mian (Stewed Minced Pork Noodles) as a takeway and it came with my noodles in a paper bowl, stacked on top with a container that held my stewed meat sauce, which I could easily just empty into the noodles when I was ready to eat. No comments on the interiors as I left in a hurry but packed to the brim during lunch hour, so beware. It's kinda a sign that the food is good isn't it?

SGD 10

Sip on coffee and get a haircut at Kuanth's artsy Hairloom and Caramel. Own by a freelance art illustrator, it's no wonder design plays a huge part of this cafe with special attention paid to the interiors made up of cool vinyls on the wall, colorful stripes motifs , as well as chairs of every color you can image. You'll also be surrounded by a kaleidoscopic treat of little toys and trinkets for sale in addition to the cafe's super cool china and cutlery that you'll get to toy with during your meal.

Food is mostly bite sized or in small portions such as pasta, cupcakes, potato salads. The pasta I had was great but the cupcakes were strange, with the chocolate one tasting more salty than sweet. Forget about the beef burger which came in bread too hard to handle, and a patty too cold to enjoy.

Choose fail proof items like pastas or salads.

Last by not least, the drinks are ok! Do try to yuzu tea for something refreshing to whet your appetite before your meal.

SGD 15

A cute wood lined cafe in Vivocity.

We had the pepperoni pizza, lasagne dinner set, a strawberry smoothie and lastly a finale of waffles with double scoop ice cream on a rainy day. Fact that we had both pizza and lasagna was because we couldn't make up our minds and thus decided to share both mains.

Now when dinner was served. We had to helped ourselves to the utencils by the counter which was fine, since the cashier had directed us before hand.

The dinner was served with a pizza that was thin crusted and topped with a generous portion of cheese (check out the picture).Funny how the dough and the toppings did not really adhere and the toppings were almost slipping of my pizza slices. That said, it didn't stop me for enjoying nor devouring it.

The lasagna which I shared with my boyfriend tasted like home baked goodness, in fact the meat sauce was so scrumptious, we zipped off to the supermarket in search of ingredients to bake one over the weekend. It came in a small ceramic bowl which I felt was a good portion due to the generous amount of cheese. Wouldn't want to feel like dinner was an overkill would we.

Next, we made our way to our dessert which was a waffle with 2 scoops of ice -cream and drenched in maple syrup. Nice waffles, but the ice cream was ....a downer. It was powdery, not creamy, so much so that I remarked if this was made from low fat milk to my boyfriend. And that even the 1dollar types from ice cream sellers on a bike were nicer. So remember bring your own ice cream if you're gonna have the waffles.

Service was ok, we were there around 4plus 5 and thus there weren't alot of people to begin with so service was relaxed but swift.

2011-04-15

Now I'm going to let you in on one of my best kept secrets so If you've been following my reviews, you're in for a treat.

Yes I am picky when it comes to Japanese, and even more so when it comes to noodles. I love Keisuke so much that I'm a tad afraid after this review, all you openricers will start swarming there and that I might need to starting getting in line or making reservations on my next trip.

The first overseas store by celebrity ramen chef Keisuke Takeda, known for his shrimp consomme in French restaurants. (Yay, I'm feeling lucky he has chosen to venture to SG!) Keisuke has a great ramen menu, with mainly 3 types of broth. Pork, Prawn, and Miso. They offer a variation for each type, and an option to have spicy miso too. I've tasted all 3 types and I'll have to say the Pork and Crab both are both winners.

The prawn broth is reminiscent of prawn mee: think beautifully firm noodles in a robust and think prawn broth, with flavours igniting your senses. The pork broth too was thick and flavorful (You can request for a stronger flavor intensity but I chose normal). Noodles too, can be requested to be hard, normal or soft depending on what you like.

Sides include Teriyaki Chicken, Ajitsuke Tamago (soy sauce boiled egg) , and Gyoza (served with White Vinegar) which were all good. Except that I requested for theTeriyaki chicken to be done less salty, and the staff gladly obliged my customized order.

Service here was exception and attentive, and wait staff take it as far as to go on their knees when taking your order. Which made me feel kinda uncomfortable.

I loved the fact that they served Ice water, and for sometime recently, they've been handing out loyalty cards which you can stamp to redeem a bowl of noodles once completed, as well as a complimentary Ajitsuke Tamago coupon for use on your nx visit.

SGD 25

The serves' up! Craving for a great bowl of peppery bak kut teh? The Outram Park Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh is now available at it's Keppel Branch, a cheery coffee shop on the ground floor of Tanjong Pagar Complex. (Just across the road from RCL building and M hotel).

Expect regular refills of soup without having to ask for it. Prompt service, and happy chinese staff.

The tender pork ribs are served in a nicely balanced soup ($7 a bowl) with a peppery kick that you may happily indulge in with a bowl of you tiao. We were surprised to see the pork ribs were served in either lean or fatty which you needed to indicate your preference for while placing the order. If rice didn't suit your fancy, you can choose to have a bowl of mee sua instead.

While the menu isn't very extensive, you get braised pig trotters, salted vegetables and dried beancurd (aka Tau pok) should you find the need to augment this already lovely meal.

I'm definitely happy about their opening hours.

Midnight Foodies listen up.
Open from 7am to 3pm and from 6pm to 4am; closed on Monday

2011-03-18

SGD 11

Think $5 will get you merely a glass of beer if you actually make it to happy hour?

Perfect for the perpertual late comers - FIVE Izakaya is where you can find your tipple served at only $5 throughout the night and where you do not have to rush your socks off to make it to Happy Hour.

Although they were open since May 2010, my mates and I only stumbled upon this watering hole sometime last week. We were pleasantly surprised when our half pints of Asahi cost us only $6 (yup gst) at 1030pm. We asked the waitress at the bar and found out they open till midnight daily, with the exceptions on Sat where they open till 6pm and sundays where they are closed.The bottled beers too were cheap and marketed in buckets or 4 or 5 bottles for $40.

Appreciate music? Well, a life band performs several sets from Mondays to Fridays and when the band isn't on . The good music is a draw too, think Radiohead and some soft rock.

Check out fivebar.sg for more. It's a great place to unwind over music and drinks with a bunch of friends. Better still if you work just nearby.

Conveniently located at 16 Collyer Quay, #01-05B Singapore 049318 (formerly Hitachi Towers) Directly opposite Fullerton Bay Hotel (Clifford Pier) and One on the Bund Carparking at Hitachi Towers is $3.21 per entry after 5pm Raffles Place MRT station is a short 3 minute walk away and the taxi stand is right outside the bar!

2011-04-05

SGD 15

Michelangelo's was one of the first few dining outfits to line the then holland village back in 1995. Spotting a new look since last October, the restaurant which used to resemble an Italian tavern had its frontage knocked. The newly decked up walls feature framed black and white stills of famous Italian personalities, the restaurants soft lights are also perfect for dates. For starters, I had a warm spinach salad tossed with bacon, walnut, vinaigrette and crumbled Greek feta which felt a little too acidic on my tongue.

How about some seafood spiked with a famous tipple? The crowd pleaser, Michelangelo's Penne Sambuca came with generous servings of fresh, plump, tiger prawns sauteed with chilli and sun-dried tomatoes left to Simmering in light tomato based cream and an indulgent shot of 50cl Sambuca. To round of this indulgent Italian dinner,I made a beeline for the sticky date pudding complete with toffee sauce that made my taste bud sing. So I say make a date and saunter by.

2011-03-15

SGD 40

A chic Mediterranean restaurant, Original Sin shows diners there's alot more to vegetarian that just mock meats, beancurd wraps or girly salads. Did you know the mosiac tables at the al-fesco area were designed and made by owner, Marisa Bertochi? An artist turn restaurateur, Marisa's Savory Tart and Bruchetta breads are my favourites. Individually made, the Savory Tart has seasonal ingredients baked into the light yet buttery shortcrust pastry that tastes like home. Their menu is also kid-friendly and can cater to strict vegetarians who are on dairy/egg/onion/garlic restrictions. Comprehensive and varied, it's easy to forget about having meat once you open your eyes to a smorgasbord of hearty healthy foods such as pan-fried Haloumi cheese, an aptly named "Marisa's magic mushroom" which is a whole portobello mushroom topped with mozzarella, tomato basil sauce and mozzarella cheese. All in all, a great place to start your man on something healthy without compromising on hearty.

2011-02-13

SGD 30

i've been to Bakerzin many times and the service here is often immaculate with attentive staff greeting diners with smiles. They are patient, polite and ready to offer diners suggestions when quizzed.

I'm not sure when they started having this promotion but there happened to be a free flow of artisan breads this evening where you can help yourself to a basket of pre sliced breads, pop it into a mobile oven they have, and help yourself to the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not the highlight of our meal but definitely a nice thing to have.

My boyfriend and I were back tonight to have their pasta, perhaps it's because some of the dishes were concocted by the chef that helms the tampines branch, the pasta here was nicely done and toppings were more generous than the time we had the same dishes at the Jurong Point Mall.

Overall, tasty pasta, with generous servings of bacon in the carbonara, and lots and lots of mushrooms in my al fungi pasta. Topped with nicely fried garlic .

We also had the mushroom soup that come with chunks of bread as a topping. The soup tasted vaguely like it had spice in it. It was hot and goes down smoothly on the throat. However I'm not sure what's in it that made it taste out of the ordinary. I had the soup twice and the taste was reminiscent of curry powder. Have a taste yourself to find out what I mean.

I'm also a huge fan of their Mochi . Available on the dessert menu/ dessert counter displays. I bought an entire box during Chinese New Year, and love to have it because the skin is thin yet chewy, it also wasn't overly sweeten.

2011-04-13

SGD 25

I have been to Old Town Coffee at ECP some 2-3 times. The food is great, I have no complaints. But the drinks could really do better.

Perhaps it's a personal taste issue, however I felt like their signature white coffee (HOT) and the stocking filtered Tea were both infused with way too much condensed milk that the taste had turned a little flat, and even a little sour. if you get what I mean.

I'm however a big fan of the kaya toast! Thin, crisp, and covered in just the right amount of aromatic Kaya and lovely melty sticks of butter. Their's was fantasic. Something about the kaya, perhaps the used of gula melaka, made it really fragrant. To be honest, I actually had popped by for coffee right after dinner at another establishment nearby. A full tummy was not a good enough deterrence for their lovely Kaya Toast.

The service was lacking however when we were chided by the store manager who said his priority were for dining guest as they were paying GST and said if we were only going to other take aways we needed to give up our seats. His argument was fine, we totally understand but it was his attitude that was a total put off. he could have spoken to us nicely but he did not.

2011-04-01

SGD 8(Dinner)

Helmed by Nick Yen, a taiwanese american, and celebrity Japanese mixologist Tomoyuki Kitazoe. Orgo is short for 'Organic Chemistry' but the bar boasts more than just drinks made with organic ingredients for the trained palate. Book in advance as I went without a reservation and it was close to impossible to get a seat on a friday night without one.

Avante garde cocktails coupled with panoramic views of the Marina Bay area and 'ice cubes' are what set Orgo apart from the rest of Singapore’s bar scene. Chilli salt, soursop, calamansi, dragonfruit and just some of the ingredients they use in their extensive range of cocktails.

I tried the strawberry margarita which comes with a huge frozen top that resembles a mini 'ice kachang', The soursop and calamansi which men will be afraid to admit that they like it too. While a friend tried an extra dirty martini and a mojito.

While the drinks were refreshing. needless to say after 4-5, you'll kinda need a glass of water to dispel the effects of alcohol. What came as a surprise was Orgo does not serve water from the tap. Not even after we asked for it thrice. We then had to settle for a bottle of Fiji water.

Orgo offers two options for seating. From an expansive outdoor deck or the indoor "Ice cube" areas.

Drinks were about 18 on the average. I'll love to go back but my only grouse is their "We do not serve water policy". Before we left as well, we had to wait for over 15minutes to get our bill even though there was close to on one left at the bar.

Opening hours: Daily: 5pm-2am

Happy Hour: 5-8pm

SGD 70

Nestled in the lush greenery of Bishan Park, the Canopy @ Aramsa houses not only 1 restaurant, by a vegan outlet -The Green Room, and a Spa - Asmara all upon its location.

Run by formal TV personality, Ms Jazreel Low, the CEO of Asmara Lifestyle group and open since 2007, I couldn't believe that I only came to know about the place this year.

A popular spot on weekends in this large park undergoing major revamp of what we heard include a river with water sports activities, The Canopy has a dedicated brunch menu as well as complete lunch and dinner menus, the location also boasts a Liveband for entertainment on certain days of the week as well as kids crafts for those who want to bring Junior on a weekend afternoon.

For starters, we had the Mango Prawn Salad - a cold fish with prawns perched on a soft bed of salad doused with mango sauce and mango cubes with nata de coco. The prawn was firm and tender, needless to say it went very well with the tangy mango.

We also had the Margherita Pizza, which was thin crusted and baked to perfection. Aromatic and not too salty, this one's a winner.

My favourite dish of the night was Canopy's Asian Chicken Pasta, maybe it's because I'm biased towards things that tingle. I loved how the chilli worked up my appetite, and how the pasta was not overcooked. My friends and I also tried the Bavarian Platter which had an assortment of sausages with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, I liked the sausages and I'm sure any Male diner would. But the sauerkraut tasted a little off. Or rather I've had better sauerkraut.

Another interesting dish was the Green Curry Pasta, nicely done and definitely creative, it came with a generous portion of green chicken which was lip smacking tender.

We also were treated to some cocktails, such as the lemongrass mojito and the sunday sundae, and another which tasted like a choco-tini, but with peanut butter innit.

To sum it up, The Canopy does have a wonderfully varied menu. It's a great place with the perfect ambiance, allowing guests a reprieve from the hurried daily lives of Singaporeans and the maddening crowds.

2011-04-08

SGD 30(Dinner)

Ran by the good folks who gave you 1-Caramel and 1-Rochester. 1-Altitude is their newest addition to the group. 1-Altitude occupies the top 2 floors and the roof of the OUB Building - it features Stellar, a fine dining restaurant; 282 and City Golf, a sports bar and indoor golf simulator; and 1-Altitude, the highest rooftop bar in not just Singapore but the world.

Its menu is designed by Group Executive Chef Christopher Millar who is Australian but largely 'french styled' in the way he cooks. I had the 120 communal dinner set which cost SGD120++ and features homemade charcuterie and top-grade Jamon, insanely fresh sushi, an oyster bar (Shuck them gd), a wood-fired grill and rotisserie, and an all-new Patisserie selection from 1- Caramel.

I had namely the Unagi roll with avocado and Unagi sauce, Spicy tuna roll with katsuo furikake and spring onion, Swordfish roll with fresh crab meat, prawns, aka miso and aonori, Ocean trout sashimi ( of which I'm told costs alot more than Salmon)
Sustainable blue fin tuna (which lead to me quizzing chef Millar on his sustainable focused menu), and finally Squid sashimi served with fresh grounded wasabi.

The most interesting of all was the squid sashimi which Elaine ( a fellow reviewer) would know I failed badly at picking it up with my chopsticks not once,twice but closer to five or six times. In the end she fed them to me. Looks like I've to insist on sushi prepared ala minute from now on, just like 1-Altitude.

While the folks at my table were really game when It came to tasting rabbit's meat which came with the Chaachuterie tasters I hesitated for a good 30mins. Now we were told that it was farmed rabbit meat. Farmed rabbit meat tastes like chicken, it's white meat as opposed to wild rabbits which are red meat. In my opinion, I'll rather have that poor bird again (yes the chicken), than to venture into experimenting my taste buds with rabbits.

Thumbs up for 1-Altitude's house cured ham and their brillant selection of sausages. Here's what comes in a tiered platter awaiting to be savored.

Wagyu bresaola - Stellars own home made wagyu beef bresaola
Italian style air-dried beef
Jamon Serano
Spainish cured ham similar to proscuitto
Jamon Iberico Bellota acorn fed
Spanish Iberico acorn fed cured ham
Proscuitto de Parma 20 months
Italian cured ham
Cotechino
Italian sausage
Chorizo
Spanish sausage

A clear winner too was the Truffle risotto with Maine Lobster - ample shavings of black truffles atop rice baked and moistened with shellfish stock and generous servings of lobster meat, it sat well in my tummy and unlike other risottos I had, I didn't get that 'I'm stuffed' feeling. Each spoonful was a hearty burst of delight that got me hooked further.

Don't forget to try their creamy Paris mash potatoes, hand churned goodness bound to have you wanting more. It comes with their wood fired grill wagyu and perhaps certain other dishes too!

And just for fun - Guess what's umibudo, something I spotted on their other menu.

Umibudo (sea grapes) is a type of seaweed snack harvested on the Okinawan island of Miyako and it is served at 1-Altitude, it's something I hope to try soon!

2010-09-15

SGD 120