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One of the cheapest places to dine at the airport is definitely the staff canteen - which is open to public! The food is not just cheap but pretty decent too. I stumbled upon this indian stall and decided to give it a shot. My side dishes were tauhu sambal, cabbage and spinach. I also requested for sambar (a type of lentil curry) that was poured over the rice.

Tauhu sambal: This dish consisted of cubes of tofu drenched in spices with a hint of tomato. It was meant to be a spicy side dish but the version here did not leave leave tears streaming down my face

Spinach: This side dish was well cooked yet not over cooked. The spices used were mild. However there was nothing that stood out for me

Cabbage: This was another decent side that was well cooked. The vegetables used were fresh.

A piece of papadum and fried chillies were also given to compliment the meal.

I rate this meal 6 / 10

Overall, I did find the meal a little oily. It was nothing to brag about but it did taste decent and even home cooked. The portion of rice was very generous but the side dishes were compromised to the minimum which was the downside. Then again, it was awfully cheap at only $3.50! The food at this stall is suitable for any race or religion as its a vegetarian stall. They also have a variety of other items that look pretty good which I may try out during my next visit

Tip: Stalls at the canteen are not 24hours and some even close in the mid afternoon. It's highly recommended to go during lunch time. Also, don't need to worry about seating as there's plenty around, even during peak periods! It is also suggested to patronise on weekdays as I reckon they close on weekends!

2013-04-26

SGD 3(Lunch)

I was thrilled to find Lao Ban's Beancurd outlet at Chong Pang Market. For starters, it's the best place to have that stall since the food at that same location is cheap yet amazing Also, this is the first outlet in the north! I've been going down all the way to Tampines to buy containers of bean curd! - It was worth every trip but I'm so glad the new outlet is closer to home! Newly opened and one has to already start queuing in line to be served while the beancurd was flying off the chillers. Don't worry though, staff are very quick at serving hence one wouldn't have to wait too long. I have been a fann of Lao Ban's beancurd ever since my sister brought home a container early this year. I love the silkiness of the bean curd that totally melts in your mouth. You can even try slurping it down, it's that silky! Other outlet's tend to make their beancurd too blunt or too sweet and sometimes I force myself to finish the bowl but it's just nice at Lao Ban and has an aromatic fragrance. The best part is, replacing beancurd with a calorie packed slice of cake for dessert is the step to a healthier lifestyle!

Highly recommended to be the #1 for Beancurd! =D I rate this beancurd dessert 10/10

Tip: Don't go home with just one container!

2013-05-03

SGD 2

Ya kun may be famous for alot of things but their kaya toast is definitely the talk of the town. Slices of bread that are toasted to perfection; neither too soft nor hard with melted butter and a generous spread of kaya to make it a winner. This is definitely one of my favourite places for breakfast. However, I do recommend not waiting too long before getting down to business as the toast does have a way of turning cold and soggy which affects the taste by a notch. Best eaten hot with a good cup of coffee. Their ice blended drinks are pretty good too if u feel like a chilled drink during a hot morning. I especially like their horlicks ice blended. It might be a little pricey at over $3 but its great to gulp down on a scorching day!Price paid for Ice blended Horlicks with whipped cream + Kaya Toast (2 slices) = $5.30. Highly recommended: 9/10

2013-04-10

SGD 5(Breakfast)

I feel like the standard of this stall has gone down tremendously. I ordered the white rice with 3 sides. The first was potato with black pepper - The dish was extremely plain though the potatoes were well cooked. The second dish was spinach which was extremely horrible. It was very blunt and tasted undercooked. It did not appear to be seasoned in any way either. Last but not least was silken tofu. Again, this dish was quite tasteless. I am very disappointed with both the standard as well as customer service. I was waiting for nearly 10 minutes before the staff took notice and served me. The staff appeared to be in a bad mood and showed no signs of customer service. The food on the other hand was hardly edible. I will not be paying over $4 again for this (even with my kopitiam card, it ended up amounting to $4.50). Not worth the money at all.

Not recommended: 2/10

2013-04-15

SGD 4(Lunch)

After months, I finally collected enough stamps to redeem my free andersen's of Denmark lifetime membership card! It entitles their members to birthday discounts and 10% discounts on all products. Definitely a treat! They also threw in a free scoop of ice cream when I submitted my visit card for redemption! I decided to go with macadamia on this hot sunny day. I was asked if I would like it in a cup or cone. I chose a cup as it was less messy I love the range of flavours available! The ice cream is not too heavy and definitely not too sweet either. The staff are pretty friendly and I must say, the quality of ice cream is top notch! I got a pretty huge scoop! I loved the chunks of macadamia found in the rich vanilla ice cream. Will be patronising Andersen's more once my membership card arrives through mail! Highly recommended!

:bowl: Macadamia Ice Cream 9/10

2013-04-18

SGD 0(Lunch)

J.CO has the best donuts in town - I swear by it. Not only are the donuts freshly made, but I love the vast variety of flavours available and the idea that they always come up with something new! It shows initiative and that they keep their creative juices flowing. Some of the donuts that I ordered are listed below (hopefully I got all the names right!) Sink your teeth into these delights, you know you want to! Alcapone: Yummy almonds on top of a slightly glazed donut. This is a very light treat that wont send you on a guilt trip! 7/10

Tira Miss You: This has got to be another legend. Calling all Tiramisu lovers, you have got to try this. Unlike the actual dessert, this is a sweeter version and the caffeine is kept to a minimal. It still leaves a lasting impression 9/10

Oreology: This was the first donut I tried at JCO and funny thing is, it still tops my list! Crushed oreo bits with a delicious tinge of sweetness always leaves you craving for more! The best donut to sink your teeth into. Go on, reward yourself after a hard day's work It's worth the calories! 10/10

Jacky Chunk: This is one of the classic donuts that you'd find in the bakery. I do love this version though for its fresh nutty taste.

Forest Glam: chocolate shavings with actual grapes (to create the blackforest effect!) 7/10

Coco Loco: Chocolate on the inside and chocolate on the outside! I would suggest eating it warm (microwave). It ends up being just like a molten chocolate lava cake! 9.5/10

Coco Caviar Chocolate: This is one of my all time favourites! Yummy chocolate balls on a chocolate glazed donut! addictive! 9.5/10

I also tried one of their latest creations which was green tea flavored. It was not too bad either.

Those are the donuts I bought, the biggest box of them all! The more donuts you buy, the cheaper it gets. Would suggest buying a whole lot with friends for sharing. You'll get to save some cash too!

It's also a great place for a cuppa coffee to compliment your donuts (during non peak hours of course). Price wise, pretty decent at $13.50 for 13 donuts its barely over a dollar each which is not that different from neighbouring bakeries.

2013-05-01

SGD 13(Tea)

I did a review previously on this eatery. Unfortunately, my visit this time round brought much distraught. I opted for the vegetarian biryani (take away). To my dismay, there was hardly a selection of dishes. The portion of rice was pretty pathetic as well. The staff gave me two vegetable dishes of my choice (nothing extraordinary), dahl curry as well as indian crackers, better known as papadum (1 piece). I think paying $7.50 was a huge rip off since there was nothing spectacular about the meal. They seemed to stinge on the portion of food and side dishes as well which did not leave a good impression. Apart from that, their take away plastic containers were just about identical to their normal stainless steal ones where by the divisions for sides was extremely small. Due to the flatness of the containers, not much food could go in due to very little depth. Even their naan set's were overpriced and were around the same range as their biryani sets which baffled me.

Overall, I doubt I would return, unless of course I was hungry and desperate enough to pay such a steep amount to dine at the food court with a small portion of food.

I bet there are better eateries that would justify one's pocket.

Conclusion: Not worth it. 6/10

2013-04-30

SGD 8(Lunch)

I popped over to Swee Yong Vegetarian food for lunch today. I was happy to find that the renovation works for chong pang market and food centre have been completed! Though the stall does not have an extravagant amount of side dishes to choose from seeing that it was a little over lunch time, that did not stop a queue forming. I decided to order the normal economical bee hoon for my sister and I. I just love the fragrant smell of bee hoon at this outlet. The set compromised of bee hoon, the brown crispy stuff, char siew and cabbage. It was simple but very satisfying. The portion was not much as I asked for $2 worth. I usually go for a $3 portion when I'm super hungry!

Overall, I have never been disappointed with the food here! I especially love the fried rice and fried bee hoon (fried on the spot with ingredients) which tastes amazing! Definitely one of the latter stalls that are worth every penny!

2013-05-01

SGD 2(Lunch)

I have loved eating here ever since I stumbled upon this modern cafe-like eatery a year back. This is one indian restaurant that is always swamped with people! The decor is chic and has a nice modern touch to it. It looks like a really cool cafe with simple seating and lightning that makes the experience a pleasant one. If people do not mind sitting outside (which I found to be a little squeeze) the food had to be worth it, right?I was glad to be proven right again. There was a lovely view of the chefs that could be seen from the outside seating area thanks to the huge see-though glass. It was nice to see the masters of food in the kitchen and the fresh pipping hot naan's coming out of that super hot tandoor (which is what is used to cook the naan). We were lucky this time round, due to 5 dishes we ordered, the waiter gave us a 4seater table (rare treat seeing that it was a weekend)This is one of my favourite brands of root beer! The menu did not specify the brand but this was definitely worth paying for (seeing that it was only a few cents more then supermarkets). However, Iced water/warm water is served on demand with no extra charge!The plating here was simple yet decent. This restaurant does a good job by being accommodative (they have high chairs for toddlers as well)We had - 2 servings of biryani rice - long grains of basmati rice cooked in spices. The dish had a very charming aroma and the rice had cashew nuts and raisins in it too which gave off a nice crunchy feel.:bowl:

My two side dishes were the paneer butter masala (can never get enough of this) and the vegetable subzi. My boyfriend on the other hand had the butter chicken which he raved about! The paneer butter masala consisted of cubed indian cheese drowned in butter, cream, spices. It tasted really good and I would definitely recommend it! The gravy was tomato based with a hint of spiciness. The vegetable subzi was a lovely mix of vegetables such as cauliflowers, carrots, peppers, broccoli among others which was cooked in a delicious coconut milk gravy. The peppers did a good job with enhancing the flavour of the dish.

Conclusion: With good food on a weekend, no one can really complain. The spiciness level is mild hence fear not to those who can't take spicy food. As a precaution, you could inform the waiter to cut back on it as well. The naan's here are amazing as well - soft and buttery is the way to go!

Caution: I would not recommend this place on weekends as it can get very crowded especially during dinner time. One might feel a little uncomfortable sitting too close to strangers as the restaurant tries to improvise by pushing tables nearer to each other. I would recommend coming here on weekdays and to make advanced reservations (preferably telling them you want corner seats etc). They would be happy to oblige!

Overall, I highly recommend Zaffron Kitchen and I'll be back with an empty tummy soon!

2013-04-01

SGD 30

I discovered this outlet when I had to run a few errands in the area. I was pleased to discover another vegetarian stall located in yishun. The stall had a variety of dishes available that were only cooked when ordered which ensured freshness and hygiene. However, this time round I decided to try out the economic bee hoon along with braised tofu and the crispy stuff which I think is mock duck. The bee hoon was indeed fresh and kept warm. It was not too oily but it lacked flavour. I liked the braised tofu, it was not too salty and tasted pretty good even on its own. The mock duck was crispy which was satisfying. Overall, this was a simple meal but nothing really stood out for me at this outlet hence it was disappointing. It would be okay to come here if you're starved though 6/10

2013-03-04

SGD 2(Lunch)

I love the coffee and cakes at Gloria Jeans. In my honest opinion, they do a better job then most coffee places! The beverages are not overpriced but unfortunately the cakes are (at around $6.80 a slice!). A large beverage would cost the same price which is kind of the down side.

Nevertheless, My review for today is on the Minty Chocolate Cake, Iced chocolate and Iced Creme Brulee.

Food: I love the different varieties of chillers that give one a great pick me up. One of my favs was the High Voltage (Which was a really high dose of coffee), perfect for that kick to get down with your books and get some studying done!

The Iced Chocolate: This beverage is not overly sweet. It had a milky taste to it which made it taste almost like chocolate milkshake but with a higher amount of chocolate. Finally it was topped off with low fat whipped cream! 8/10

Iced Creme Brûlée: This tasted just like creme brûlée! It was light but infused with coffee. Tasted really good! It was also topped off with whipped cream at the top and drizzled with maple syrup! 8/10

Minty chocolate cake: This was a basic chocolate cake with granche chocolate at the top and a minty creamy feeling in between its layers. The cake was soft and tasted moist (not dry at all) However, it was too overpriced! 7/10

Overall, Gloria Jeans has way nicer chillers then its counterparts. They even have a reward card system going on. One punch in your card for every beverage! and a free beverage when you've ordered 10 cups.

2013-03-19

SGD 15(Tea)

What's better then fast food? Nando's of course! I absolutely love the idea that Nando's has vegetarian options even though their speciality as everyone knows is grilled chicken. My boyfriend's mum first spotted their veggie burger and loved it before my boyfriend brought me here. I must say, This has got to be the best vegetarian burger I have eaten - I dare say that haha! The sides have also, just about always left me spoilt for choice!

Ambience: Nando's has sim setted lighting yet bright enough to see your food. I love coming here for dinner's as it gives off a warm and cosy ambience! People of all ages and races come here and so do couples and huge families of 6! whatever the case, nando's always has room for you!

Service: Nando's is one place that cares a lot about customer service. Firstly, their welcoming staff is always situated near the doors to welcome customers, they offer kids balloons and they aim to please! They are prompt with re-filling bottomless beverages (soft drinks that are re-fillable free of charge).

The down side? I don't think they serve ice water! haha but that's fine seeing that their soft drinks are refillable! I usually bring a bottle of mineral water in my bag just in case things get too spiced up ;P

Nando's is also famous for their sauce called "Peri Peri" and when one orders their dish, the service crew usually asks customers on what level they'd like the spicyness to be at - I found this to be very considerate as well as innovative seeing that I love mine very very very perri perri haha and my friend might have been the total opposite!!

FoodI ordered a side of garlic bread which came in 2 pieces. Lightly Grilled, the garlic and butter was very well melted. The loaves were very soft and enticing!Veggie Burger

I love the big portions of food! I ordered the veggie burger which basically came with a veggie patty, lettuce, tomatoes, perri perri sauce in between two pieces of soft bread! It was absolutely amazing and the patty was very well done! (contained mashed vegetables) and the sauces definitely brought the burgers to life 10/10! (you may request for cheese at $1)

I also ordred 2 order side - Coleslaw and Potato wedges! The coleslaw was very crunchy and tasted good. The potato wedges were spinked with a little peri peri powder to give it flavour and were not at all oily! I also ordered a bottomless beverage (fanta grape) which is re-fillable! (enough to set down the flames of the food!)

Whenever I visited this restaurant, I die to try their yummy looking desserts but more often then not, I am swamped and filled to the brim after eating my mains that I have no space for dessert! haha.

I will definitely be back to try more of this goodness!

Warning: The food here is really filling!

2013-03-05

SGD 25(Dinner)

I absolutely love thai food but I'm upset that not many restaurants have vegetarian options on the menu or are able to come up with alternative cooking methods for dishes on the menu. I was pleased to find that Absolute Thai was a complete delight as they were able to cater to my "veggie needs"

The Ambience: The restaurant has a simple yet delightful ambience. They do not over-package themselves as they make one feel like their right at home. This place is perfect for couples are on a date, best friends, families and even gatherings for a group of friends who want to catch up. Very cosy! and a tad cold due to the air con! However, with smoking hot food, who's complaining?

Their service: They gave me no reason to disappoint. Attentive staff welcomed us into the restaurant and even let us pick our own corner seat preferences. The staff also showed me which items on the menu could be made vegetarian for me (and boy, his recommendations were good!). He then checked with me on onion/garlic preferences before going ahead with our orders. I was really impressed that the food tasted so good as from my experience, food could taste pretty blunt when alterations are made. The food took about 15mins to get to us but it was well worth the wait

My Orders :bowl:I liked this beverage which consisted of lychee and I found the star stirrer very charming! Really cute! It was not overly sweet like most beverages 8/10The white rice was fragrant and the rice grains did not stick together. However, it did not really stand out and is comparable to most eateries 8/10Yummy, Who says greens cant taste good? This assorted vegetable dish is the perfect pick-me-up. Both yummy and crunchy, I never enjoyed vegetables so much. It has a good variety of mushrooms, cauliflowers, carrots, cabbage and leafy greens for that perfect balance. It is a known fact that 5 veggies in a dish makes it nutritious! However, price was pretty steep at 8++, not sure if I would order it again though! 7/10This has got to be my fav dish! Braised tofu with basil. I have no idea how they made this dish but it's truly incredible. The tofu was fried to perfection and retained their crispiness. The basil gave the dish a nice aroma and with red bird's eye chilli's came the spiciness. The dish was not salty at all and I could not stop slurping down the gravy which was heavenly! This dish is highly recommended and well worth paying for! 10/10

2013-03-17

SGD 30(Dinner)

Prata has been one of my favourite breakfast/dinner foods ever since I was a kid. TAJ Indian food not only has egg prata and plain prata; they've got chocolate prata and cheese prata as well. It was my first time trying out their cheese prata and I must say, it was delicious. It was made on the spot after my order was placed. One whole piece of cheese was used for one prata which melted as a filling into the prata (unlike some stalls that mearly place the cheese on top of the prata).

It was lightly brown when it was served. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It looked almost identical to the egg prata. It went really well with sugar which was complimentary. It can also be served with your choice of curry at no additional costs. :bowl:

Price wise? $1.50 per piece; which I found to be considered pretty alright seeing that it was up to standard

Ice milo or teh tarik would have added on as a perfect compliment to the dish.

Taj also serves biryani, murtabak, mee goreng, mee hoon goreng and rojak. There is often a queue and food takes about 10-15mins to be served. The outlet is in a coffee shop and is one of the only indian stalls at 888 plaza hence one would not be able to miss it!

2013-03-14

SGD 2(Dinner)

I simply love the desserts at Han's! Which I made to perfection and are really value for money. This time round my boyfriend tried the chocolate truffle while I decided to try the blueberry tart. I love the ambience of this cafe. Subtle yet simple, the cafe has a cosy ambience and plenty of seating indoors.Chocolate truffle. In my opinion, this dessert is highly recommend. Moist chocolate sponge cake with layers of thick chocolate mousse and a simple dark chocolate glaze at the top, with a chocolate ball to make it all pretty. This cake does not only look delicious, it tastes absolutely amazing! A chocolate lover's dream! 10/10Blueberry tart. A golden baked pie with a generous portion of blueberry jam in the middle. This tart does not only taste good but is not filled with calories either. I love the delicious crust which is not too hard yet not moist either. There were also pieces of real blueberries at the top! and was glazed with a little icing sugar for sweetness. 8/10Ice blended early grey tea with vanilla ice cream. One of my favorite oh-so-sinful beverages. This beverage is light and creamy with a tinge of earl grey - not too heavy for a hater but just right for a tea lover! Highly recommended! 9/10

2013-02-07

SGD 5(Tea)