The King Louis is Singapore's first medieval restaurant. It has been listed as one of the best family restaurants in 2011 and 2012!I really love their castle-themed ambience as it adds on to the whole dining experience. At The King Louis, they have different types of banquets (meat platters.etc) for sharing. I guess the essence of dining at The King Louis lies in the joy of sharing platters of food with friends or family. For drinks, I had the mango juice which is reasonably priced at $5. They do not serve fresh juices though, so skip this if you do not like artificial fruit juices. They do serve floats but the floats can get really filling if you order the banquet platter as their portions are huge and value for money.First up, we had the Homemade Mushroom Soup ($9.50) served with a stick of garlic bread. The button and shiitake mushrooms are blended and made into a creamy mushroom soup. It would be good to share with at least 1 as the mushroom flavour is rather thick.For starters, we also had Platter C ($24.90) which consists of chicken drumlets, calamari rings, prawn twisters, potato wedges, and sausage and bacon bites. The chicken drumlets were a favourite. Although they were all deep-fried, they were not oily. The calamari rings had the right texture and were not overly chewy. I also like the prawn twisters which were crispy and had a unique touch to it. In contrast to the deep-fried snacks, the salad served as a refreshing side.We had the Queen Victoria Banquet ($169.90 for 4-5pax). There are roasted beef with black pepper sauce, premium BBQ baby back ribs, pan-seared snapper with wasabi mayo, sauteed scallops with garlic and cream sauce, and lastly, oven-baked king prawns with melted mozzarella cheese.The only disappointment here was the beef steak which was dry, tough, and felt like it had been cooked beforehand. The black pepper sauce was yummy though and I wished that they had given more of it. That aside, I enjoyed the various seafood in this banquet. The snapper fish was really tender and fresh but I would prefer if there were no bones in it. The king prawns were huge and they went well with the melted cheese. The BBQ baby back ribs were tender and the sweet BBQ sauce complemented the ribs well. This banquet came with lots of roasted potatoes underneath as well as assorted vegetables.We also tried their Wales Beef Bolognese ($19.90) which is one of their signature dishes. The sauce is homemade and sauteed with grated carrots and onions, and reduced with fresh cream and red wine. It has a rich bolognese taste which may be a tad overwhelming for some to finish it alone. I find the taste very authentic and bolognese lovers should like this.Lastly, we had the Beer Battered Fish & Chips ($21.90). This is served with mesclun, straight cut fries, and homemade egg tartar. The fish and chips looked oily but they were surprisingly not when I tried them. The fish had retained lots of moisture in them but the batter was not soggy. Although tender, the texture of the fish was too soft for my liking.

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King Louis is perfect for group gatherings and family dinners. With their selections of banquets to choose from, you can prepare to FEAST LIKE A KING!

Craving for affordable and decent European fare? Check out Ambush, a restaurant which features a modern European dining ambience and experience. From Swiss German sausages to Belgium mussels to Spanish Paella to their French Entree, you will be spoilt for choice with the variety of items they offer on their menu. I will advise you to order a number of dishes and share with your friends for a more satisfying dining experience.

Last month, I was at Ambush to sample their Oktoberfest Specials as well as their standard menu thanks to Openrice.

Green Apple Mojito $5.50
The combination of sour green apple syrup, mojito syrup, soda and fresh mint leaves makes a great drink. The mint leaves in particular, leaves a refreshing and cool aftertaste. The fizzyness of the soda was quite shiok too.

Here were some of the food items on the Oktoberfest menu that we got to try.Roasted Pork Knuckle served with sauerkraut, light brown sauce and mashed potato $18
This was not to my liking but the pork was quite tender. There were visible fats around which I could not really stand as I personally do not like fatty foods. The roasted pork skin was quite crispy but it had a layer of fat over it.

I love the mashed potato and the sauce. The potato was very smooth and had a consistent texture, with no lumps. The sauce was also flavourful. Currywurst $16.90
If you love curry and sausages, this would be the ideal dish for you. The Berlin's Star pan seared bratwursts were very well seasoned and had a distinct curry flavour. They were also fat and juicy. I felt that the sauce accompanied with it was average tasting only. The salad dressing was also packed with flavours, making it a yummy side.Schweinmedallion $18.90
This not-sure-how-to-pronounce (Sch-wein-me-dal-lion?) dish is made up of pan grilled pork tenderloin, sliced and placed on top of a bed of delightful homemade spatzle and sauerkraut in mushroom cream sauce. The grilled pork tenderloin's texture resembled that of breast meat. I find that it was lacking in flavour but it complemented well with the mushroom cream sauce. I like how there were no visible fats in the pork and they were already sliced so it was quite easy to eat it. I really love the spatzle so much that I think I can eat it as a meal itself! When paired with the creamy mushroom sauce, it was really tasty.

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Standard menu items:Poulet Roti $17.20
Roasted garlic and herb rubbed chicken leg with grainy mustard mash, yellow chanterelle mushrooms, reduced cream sauce & seasonal vegetables. The mustard mash served in this dish is something different from the usual original mash. There were no visible lumps which was evident of good preparation process. In terms of texture and appearance, the poulet resembled a lot like duck confit. It was surprisingly very very tender and the mushroom sauce gave it extra flavour when dipped into it. The skin had minimal fats and was slightly crisp. Yummy!

Chicken Gordon Bleu $18.50
I have not tried such a dish before! This dish is made up of breaded chicken breast stuffed with smoked ham and cheese. Mushroom cream sauce and spatzle are served underneath. I need not explain further about how good the spatzle tastes with the mushroom sauce. Definitely one of my favourite combinations! The chicken breast was a tad dry on its own but with the melted cheese, they made a great complement. I could not really taste the flavour of the smoked ham though.Baby Scallop & Flying Fish Roe in Squid Ink Sauce $14.80
This was not the first time I tried Squid Ink pasta so there was not much excitement when I dug into this dish. Nevertheless, I am a pasta lover and I adore this. Usually, people avoid ordering this dish because of its dramatic all-black appearance. People are also afraid that eating it will stain the teeth and I am sure no one will want to leave the restaurant with black-stained teeth. Rest assure that this doesn't stain one's teeth at all (provided you lick the sauce off your teeth and gulp down some liquid after). Tried and tested!Crispy Chicken & Seaweed - Aglio Olio Ambush Style ($13.00)
The pasta had a garlicky flavour and it was mildly spicy due to the chilli flakes scattered everywhere. The crispy chicken was indeed crispy and tender as well. Ambush's Paella $14.20
The paella was very moist but I felt that it would taste better if more of the gravy was soaked up. There were plenty of ingredients in it such as clams, mussels, scallops, prawns and sliced bacon. The sliced sausages scattered around the rice gave it a nice smokey flavour. There was also a slight tomato taste and it should be tolerable for those who dislike tomatoes but love paella.Chocolate Lava Souffle $8.80
Disappointingly, chocolate did not flow out as one would expect when it being dissected. It resembled more like a molten chocolate cake rather than a souffle though.Tiramisu $6.80
I don't think that Ambush's tiramisu contains alcohol but somehow, there was a distinct taste of alcohol to me. Must be the italian gourmet coffee infused in it! They were quite generous with the chocolate powder toppings. For me, it did not really matter since I love chocolate but for others, the texture may be too powdery overwhelming.Apple Crisp $6.80
The caramel syrup was not too sweet and it was well balanced with the vanilla ice-cream. The apple pie was crumbly and served warm which made it even more delicious when paired up with the cold ice-cream. Worth a try!Molten Chocolate Brownie $6.80
Other than the sight of the whipped cream sitting awkwardly on top of the scoop of vanilla icecream, I love how chocolatey this dessert looks, especially that generous amount of chocolate sauce drizzled all over the chocolate brownie. This dessert may seem very chocolatey but it was not overwhelming for me because I am a chocolate lover. The rich flavour of the warm brownie was well balanced by the light flavour of the vanilla icecream. Chocolate lovers will adore this!

Overall, it was a satisfying and relatively affordable meal

For more reviews, visit http://rachelays.blogspot.com

Located just a 5-10 minute walk away from Buona Vista MRT Station, The Lawn Salad & Grill Cafe is a casual dining place to have a healthy and delicious meal of greens.I was there on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed indoors so we sat at the al fresco area. I love how it is not noisy there and it makes an ideal place to have a meal and catch up with friends or even chill over a cup of coffee.

I have not tried other salad eateries so I cannot make a comparison. I have heard a lot of good reviews about The Lawn and I must say, I was glad that it did not disappoint me.Despite the sunny weather, it was not that hot even though we were seated outdoors. There were occasionally strong currents of wind despite the area being surrounded by tall office buildings. It is actually better to dine outdoors at night than indoors because the area is very breezy.Their salad counter and grill station.

Customers can get to customize their own salad or olive rice at $9.90. Meat your Greens, just the way you want it!They have a 9 different salad dressing flavours to choose from and they are all made from scratch. I was glad to have the opportunity to try all flavours.

The popular choices are vinaigrette (the typical dressings for salads) and red island which I felt was too thick for salads. The maple peanut is a particularly popular choice among the ladies!

Here are some of the dressings that left me quite a bit of an impression on me.

Me So Spicy: This dressing is flaming hot and somehow reminds me of the taste of Tom Yum. I doubt I can finish my entire salad if it is drowned in Me So Spicy dressing but it is worth a try if you can tolerate spiciness.

Maple Peanut: Here's a delightful combination of maple syrup and peanut butter that will please maple-syrup-and-peanut-butter lovers. The end result is a sweet and rich flavour yet not too overwhelming for salads.

Wasahonie: Can you imagine a combination of wasabi, honey and mayonnaise? CC adored this but the wasabi was too strong for me. So much kick though.

Manly Mango: a refreshing touch of mango with hints of sour notes. A unique salad dressing!For food tasting purposes, we were served half a portion of salad so that we could try more food!Grilled Chicken breast with Maple infusion
These bite-sized grilled chicken breast cubes tasted mildly sweet and were surprisingly tender and juicy.Char-grilled Garlic Prawns
The marination scores for this one! The prawns are marinated in their special concoction of herbs and juices. There was a hint of garlic flavour which gave it extra fragrance. They tasted more like frozen prawns though, as compared to the ones freshly sold at supermarkets. Portobello Mushroom
A generous portion of portobello mushroom grilled and packed with juices with every bite.Butter Seared Pacific Dory with Parsley Rub
Seasoned with italian parsley, kosher salt, and butter, this pacific dory certainly adds extra flavour and delight into your bowl of salad. It is healthy and tasty! The portion was decent as well and the fish was soft and tender. Ben’s Beef Rub
I love how the sirloin beef is conveniently cut up into cubes so that it is easier to eat. The beef had a chewy texture and it was well marinated.Olive rice
The olive rice was not served hot but it was still acceptable. The rice was packed with flavour and carb-lovers will love this! The rice was more to the dry side but good thing was that it was not oily at all. Worth a try.I also managed to try their hazelnut latte ($4.30) and it was amazing! There was a good balance of coffee and hazelnut flavour. If you love Coffee Bean's version, you will love this.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience at The Lawn. If you belong to the health-conscious lot, you should visit The Lawn for a satisfying yet guilt-free meal.

Special thanks to Jonathon for hosting us!

I never knew exactly how authentic taiwanese food tastes like as I have never been to Taiwan. Some of the taiwanese street food that I had eaten locally were from Wo Ai Tai Mei, Shi Lin Street Snacks and some other taiwanese cafes. When I was younger, I used to patronize Shi Lin Street Snacks because they had a number of outlets conveniently located around my area so I would use Shi Lin's food as a benchmark.

Back to the main highlight of this post - I was glad to have the opportunity to savour authentic taiwanese delights at Lee's Taiwanese. People living at the West can rejoice because you can now head to JEM or Star Vista for affordable and authentic flavours of taiwanese food! The owner, Fiona, played a very good host that night, introducing to us the dishes that we had tried. I could see the intense passion in her eyes as she told us stories about sourcing for the right ingredients and how picky she was to finally settle on them. She is really going the extra mile to serve quality food to her customers!

I had forgotten to bring my camera that day so please pardon these pictures taken from my iphone. The intention is to produce a similar ambience of a night market in Taiwan and after much thoughts, Fiona got these red chinese lanterns hung up at the ceiling. There is indoor seating and al fresco dining which is surprisingly cooling especially when you dine there at night.

Here at Lee's, we tried a couple of their signature dishes.

The 2 highly recommended drinks are the winter melon tea and the red milk tea. Of course, I picked the red milk tea because I love milk tea!!!Iced Red Milk Tea with Pearls: $5.80
The black pearls are freshly made everyday to attain that nice chewy texture that is expected of pearls. Because they are homemade, you can rest assure that they are absolutely safe to consume as they do not come from some dubious factory that mass make these bubbles in our bubble teas.Taiwanese Burger (1pc): $3.80
Love our local version of kong ba bao? You will probably love the Taiwanese version! Pork belly, parsley, pickled vegetables and minced peanuts sandwiched between a delightfully soft white bun. I felt that this could be more moist as the peanuts in it made it drier even though it gave it that added texture. I am not a fan of kong ba bao so I cannot review this without any bias. Century Egg Tofu: $4.80
I really like the idea of having fish flakes as toppings for the century egg tofu. The fish flakes gave the dish extra flavour and texture and everything complemented each other well. The tofu was so soft and silky that the first bite would leave you wanting for more. The sauce was very rich in flavour too although I'd prefer it to taste lighter.Salt & Pepper Chicken: $6.90
Thigh meat (instead of breast meat) is used to make the meat more tender. The amount of seasoning was just right and was not overpowering. Even though these were bite-sized, I was able to savour the chicken meat because the batter was very thin. This makes such a great snack! Sweet Potato Fries: $6.90
I love how thick the sweet potato fries are. They were soft yet not soggy nor oily. These fries are definitely a healthier option to the standard french fries. Plum powder is placed at the side for consumers to dip the fries into. I think I am addicted to the plum powder because I could not stop dipping my fries into it! The slightly sour taste of the powder gave a good balance to the natural sweetness of the fries. Pork Chop: $8.90
Look at how thin the batter is! The pork chop has a light batter coat so that diners can taste the pork chop fully instead of just eating the "flour and batter". The pork chop was surprisingly moist and tender that I almost got it mixed up with the chicken chop.Chicken Chop: $8.90
The skin was crisp on the outside and the chicken meat was tender on the inside even though breast meat was used. I really dislike how taiwanese chicken chops sold outside contain so much seasoning and thick batter that it becomes a chore eating it. Braised Minced Pork Rice: $10
I never liked minced pork rice but this was really good. The original version of this is supposed to contain fatty pork meat but to cater to the health-conscious lot in Singapore, less fatty pork meat and the leaner parts of meat are used. It still tasted as good, if not better (I cannot stand fatty meat!). The pork meat was braised well, making it very flavourful too. One could also tell that the rice they use are not the cheap kind. Every grain of rice was separate on its own with no sticky lumps anywhere. Short grain rice was used which reminded me of the rice that the Japanese used - I love it!!! This is a hot favourite that night.Taiwanese Beef Noodles: $14
One of my favourites, minus the beef :/ It is such a pity that I do not like cooked beef because the taste is too strong to my liking. I did try a little of the beef (prime cut beef is used for this) and it was very tender and not at all tough. It was of no wonder that the soup broth was so delicious and flavourful after being simmered for 4 hours. Somehow, I am able to tolerate the beef soup even though the beef taste was quite strong for this one. I could easily finish up this bowl of beef noodles (without the beef lol)!

Top-grade flour imported directly from Taiwan is used to make these noodles. The noodles are homemade and had a springy texture. Absolutely delish when you eat it together with a mouthful of the soup!Pig Intestines & Meat Ball Mee Sua: $10
The reason why there is no Oyster Mee Sua on the menu is because Fiona refuses to compromise on the quality of the ingredients by getting substandard oysters. Furthermore, the really fresh oysters are very expensive, at about $2-$3 per piece. If you are turned off by the sight of pigs intestines (just like me), you can request to change the ingredients to pork balls. The texture of the mee sua was very smooth and the soup tasted very healthy because there are no m.s.g placed in it at all!Mixed Items Crushed Ice: $8.90
Love green bean? Love red bean? Love yam? Then you're in for a treat with this crushed ice dessert drizzled with brown sugar syrup. Finish off your meal with a cool taiwanese dessert. This is great for sharing but if you have a separate stomach for desserts and you adore taiwanese desserts like this, feel free to finish it all by yourself

Many of the ingredients Lee's Taiwanese use are imported from Taiwan. Fiona stresses a lot about the quality of ingredients into making the food. Prices may be steeper here than elsewhere but you do pay for what you get. There is no compromising on quality of ingredients and standard of food here at Lee's. It is not easy to find eateries which emphasizes so much on their ingredients nowadays since profit-making is usually the priority.

Do give Lee's Taiwanese a try if you're around the vicinity.

http://rachelays.blogspot.sg/2013/09/w39-bistro-bakery-clementi.html

2 months ago back in July, me and some girlfriends went there for dinner. It was not really much fuss to go there as there was direct bus from Clementi Bus Interchange, a little troublesome but well worth a visit!

W39 Bistro & Bakery serves european-styled dishes. It has a mini bakery section right beside the cake counter. The whole place is quite small and cozy. There are indoor seating as well as al fresco. Around the vicinity of W39 is private houses and so it tends to be rather quiet around the area. It is a nice place to have a good meal and catch up with friends.vintage-looking setting. I adore their rustic and vintage decorations that reminded me so much of the older days.Baked Portobello Mushroom, Balsamic Reduction $10
I certainly did not expect the portion to be so little but thankfully it did not taste like it was not worth the money. In fact, it was really good! The mushrooms were packed with juices and flavour. We finished it in no time.
This is worth a try but I don't think I will be ordering it again as it is too expensive.Confit of Duck Leg, Mash, Aragula Salad $19.50
I love their salad dressing! The bed of mash underneath was so delightfully soft, warm and creamy. The skin of the duck confit was crispy and the meat was tender. It was a pity that it lacked flavour.Roasted Spatchcock, Mushroom Gravy, Roasted Vegetables $24.50
The mushroom gravy was quite forgettable but had a unique taste to it unlike the usual creamy mushroom sauce used. The chicken meat was tender but I still prefer the duck confit more. This dish will take at least 20 minutes to be served.Wagyu Burger with Fries $20
Fries were crispy and not oily. The burger was light and fluffy. The beef patty was good but Omakase Burger beat it hands down.Chocolate cake with icecream
The quality of the ice-cream was not really good and it melted really fast. It was nevertheless a wonderful complement to the slice of chocolate cake. Cake had a moist and rich texture. This is good for sharing.

Service was friendly and meticulous in attending to our needs. There were not many diners around when we went on a weekday evening.