Lately, Mookata Thai BBQ Steamboat has been popping up in Singapore like it’s free. You can almost always find one of such at every turn, especially in the Bugis area. But today, I’m straying away from the ‘norm’ and zooming into MooJaa, a Mookata Thai BBQ Steamboat at Keong Saik Road, Outram Park.MooJaa, MooJaa, what is that exactly? Intriguingly, ‘MooJaa’ is a popular slang word meaning ‘my lovely pig!’. It is frequently used by couples who have put on a little *hemhem*, weight during the relationship. Well, that isn’t a bad thing; It just signifies a happy relationship I think.Quality Control #1 – Binchotan Japanese Charcoal: You know the establishment is serious in its business when they look into quality rather than simply erecting a restaurant just because. You’d first be introduced to their Charcoal. A white, high-quality charcoal from Japan is preferred and used, due to two reasons. (1) It does not result in soot getting into the food and turning it acidic like when black charcoal is used (very commonly seen outside). (2) Binchotan Charcoal does not emit any smoke or unpleasant odors. That translates to you being able to dine knowing very well that the food is not contaminated or have its quality affected.Now you know what MooJaa means, you have to know what Mookata means as well, haven’t you? It literally means ‘Pork Skillet’ in Thai, but is also known as Pork BBQ. The former refers to its cooking apparatus shown, where you can indulge in both BBQ and hot pot. It’s easy to use. First, you pour the soup into the dome-shaped apparatus. Then you place a cube of pork lard on the tip of the dome. And you’re all set to start the feast! The pork lard serves as a flavor to not only the meat surrounding it, but also the soup, slowly, slowly, as the meal moves forward.

The soup base is brewed for 5 hours. The chicken and pork broth is MSG-free, and starts off really light but still tasty. They also have Tom Yum Soup Base but trust me on this, give a miss on that and stick to the former. Because as you BBQ your meat, the juices that it gives out adds complex flavors to the soup, making it very powerful and flavorful. It was so addictively good toward the end. Be warned though, don’t throw your clams into the soup because it changes the soup base drastically. If you like the flavors of clams like I do, throwing in 5 of it would suffice. Don’t say never ‘wong‘ you.Quality Control #2 – MooJaa Special Sauces: The sauces here are freshly made on a weekly basis (from up north) so that it doesn’t go stale. Prepared with 30 different ingredients, it is stirred for 6 hours non-stop to prevent it from going charred or burnt. A whole lot of work just for its condiments. Up to your liking, you’re free to ‘marinate’ your own meat with their Spicy BBQ and Sweet Sour Seafood Sauces.Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) ($2.50+): Highly recommended. It’s thirst-quenching, and I like the part where it has a tinge of bitterness to it. Not overpowering for sure, but present to spice the drink up.Cheese Balls ($8+): Eat it while it’s hot. The cheese ain’t no fake cheapo cheese. It’s flavorsome. I heard once, there was a girl who ordered plates and plates of this. Only. I don’t blame her. Hah.Ala-Carte Buffet ($32+): If you look at the menu above, it wouldn’t make any sense to eat by way of ala-carte. And if you take a closer look, it’d only make sense if you go there for its Ala-Carte Buffet. I especially like its Hokkaido Scallops, Abalone Slices, Cheese Balls, Pork Collar Slices and Clams.US Angus Beef Slice / Kuorbuta Pork Collar Slice ($22+): If you get the Ala-Carte Buffet, you are entitled to either a plate of US Angus Beef Slice or Kurobuta Pork Collar Slice (not buffet). After trying both, I’d say go for the latter, even though I’m a huge beef lover. It fell a little short in terms of its marination. I had to smoke it with the sauces myself. But it turned out fine anyway.

Come here for its BBQ Steamboat, not its other mains or desserts, because well, they are after all specialized in the BBQ Steamboat right.

One would always be worried about the smoky smell that gets to your clothes when a steamboat / BBQ trip is brought up. I’m not going to say that you’ll not smell, because you will, still smell. They have just put in effort to manage it better, with a in-table ventilation system – lesser smoke would get to you, that I can assure you. Further, the restaurant is fully air-conditioned.

You can opt for a private room if you are in a party of 6 and above. However, as they only have a couple of rooms, you have to book in advance to secure a room. And it’s not just a day or two in advance; You have to book a week or two before.

The Halia has been on my ‘Temptations‘ page for the longest time, and I can finally strike it off now. The restaurant has been around for a whooping 12 years, serving two very different crowds at Botanic Gardens and Raffles Hotel. With that, its interior design and menu caters to the respective – one set in a lush and laid-back environment, while the other a modern, fast-paced and busy surrounding. On a weekend, The Halia @ Botanic Gardens is definitely a more appropriate choice to opt for. A relaxed walk in the park, supplied with an abundance of fresh oxygen. Man, that sounds healthy already, and can arguably (if you’re not that calculative) balance out what you’re going to have for brunch in a bit.

A useful tip for getting to the restaurant is to look for the sign saying, ‘Singapore Orchid Garden’. The restaurant is right across from it.The furnishing was exquisite and elegant. I was impressed. The outside the wooden-centric concept, while the inside the black, white and red, a colonial yet contemporaneous touch to it, complete with a high ceiling, done such that the morning sun only has a chance to peep into the dining area, thus not interfering with the job of an air-conditioner.The Halia’s menu has only been recently revamped earlier July 2013, together with the introduction of Executive Chef Peter Rollinson, who now helms the kitchen of The Halia. Coming from Australia with his more than a decade experience, his daring and creative take on the ingredients leaves you in for a treat with his new creations in this all-new Modern European cuisine with an Asian twist.

Brunch is served only on the weekends and public holidays from 10am – 4pm. Unfortunately, reservations are not taken for Brunch. If you are like me, who have been living in the city for way too long, you ought to know that on a weekend, Singapore Botanic Gardens is filled, and I mean really filled with tourists, tour groups, school groups, and families alike. I had thought that I would have a chance to take a quiet and non-disruptive walk in the Gardens en route to the restaurant. I was so wrong, but still a good sight of the activities going concurrently.Halia Infusion (Hot) ($10++): A house specialty mix of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey. I’ve always been a fan of Ginger Tea as it exudes the pampering feeling, thanks to it being a common practice in beauty salons. I like it such that the ginger is overwhelmingly strong – which The Halia has rightfully fulfilled (well since ‘Halia’ means ‘Ginger’ in Malay).Iced Cardamom, Ginger & Cinnamon Coffee ($12++): This add-your-own-sugar-and-milk coffee is solely for serious coffee drinkers. And I’m for sure, not one. I like my coffee nicely flavored. It can get confusing with that many loud ingredients coming together all at once. Do you know, Cardamom is the seeds of a plant of the ginger family, and it’s the world’s third most expensive spice.Cocktail of King Prawns ($22++): Very neatly and sleekly presented, the batman here is the King Prawns, while the robin(s) are avocado, wasabi, coriander with spicy tomato sauce. I’m not so much a fan of the latter two, but when put together, man do they work well. I found myself voluntarily getting a huge chunk of coriander to complement the prawns. And I’m a non-green person. If you’re feeling generous, go for this.Cinnamon French Toast ($18++): Of the three main breakfast items I’ve had, this piece of exquisite art wins, hands down. This ain’t your everyday French Toast, it looks huge, but very easily edible with its very soft texture. A bite into it and you’ll find it very fluffy (it’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!) as well. Much enjoyable and best thing, it doesn’t get cloying. Thanks to its fresh seasonal berries (which aren’t sour, thank god), white chocolate (which adds an all new twist to it, but not overly sweet), and Iranian pistachio, the entire dish doesn’t get too one dimensional after all. Trust me on this, order this whilst there.Poached Eggs on Brioche ($22++): The poached eggs were done perfectly. The hollandaise was sprinkled with some dill (which I would have loved even more if it was more generous, but I know, I know, these condiments are only meant for as a touch and go). I thought it was very much an ordinary course and safe option.Wood Smoked Salmon Toastie ($24++): Beautified with a sunny-side up, I was reluctant to touch it. I mean, just look at its vibrant look. However, the Toastie fell short as I find the Smoked Salmon quite a bit too salty, and that there was nothing (in the dish) to help with the damage control. The Toast was nicely done. Fragrant and crisp on the edges.Halia Chilli Crab Spaghettini ($28++): A Halia Signature dish tossed in Singapore-style spicy, sweet and tangy crabmeat sauce – one that is highly acclaimed, but didn’t quite work its way through my palate that very day. I’ve heard raving reviews on this, and I’m hoping it was just a rare error on the restaurant’s part. To me, the spaghettini was cooked pretty alright, but it was just the whole taste that didn’t quite gel. It wasn’t as addictive as I thought it’d get. A little too sweet and not spicy enough for me.Sticky Valrhona Chocolate Brownie ($12++): A dessert dish to satisfy your chocolate cravings. It wasn’t the best dessert I’ve had, but notable enough. It might have been because of the below..Caramelized Banana Walnut Bread ($24++): When asked to choose a favorite dish of the day, I was torn between the French Brioche and this. Being quite an anal sweet tooth, I was greatly impressed with this. The Walnut Bread was done to perfection – pleasingly firm, dry and brittle on its edges but soft, warm and comfortable on the inside. As you take a bite, the combination would give a ‘fly me to the moon’ feeling. Complete with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream and Kumquat Compote. Highly recommended. It can come as a little pricey, but heck, share it with your friends and at least give it a go if you are already here.

As you look outside the restaurant, you would see happy families after families bonding under the sun. It’s like in the Army, you bond when you suffer right. But it’s also true that you need to reward yourself after a long day. The Halia Restaurant is a family-friendly place. Ready your children for some fun with crayons when they are here.

https://thechosenglutton.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/boon-lay-raja-chinese-restaurant/

Yes, don’t be misled by its Malay-sounding restaurant name, it is as Chinese as Tunglok Restaurant, or like, Crystal Jade, lol. I don’t know, I think it’s just me, but I was pretty impressed when I heard that they serve both dim sum and main courses at the same time of the day. I’m under the impression that one usually serves dim sum in the morning and main courses thereafter. Anyhow, the restaurant was recommended to us and we decided to give it a try, as a birthday lunch. Just in case you too want to give this isolated restaurant a go, it’s located right above the NTUC beside the under-renovation Jurong Entertainment (head up the stairs beside the lift, not any other stairs).

We made a reservation for Sunday lunch but it wasn’t really necessary. There were plenty of seats then. Although so, reservation’s always a safe plan.
As the few of us have different appetites, we ordered half dim sum, half main courses – the best of both worlds.Century Egg Porridge :: Once again, if you’ve read some previous entries, I usually don’t eat Chinese food. But this – is amazing. Ate this as my first course, and as my last. At the end of everything, we ordered another bowl of it and swallowed it down. It’s too irresistible and worthy.Freshly Oven-baked Egg Tarts :: Nothing memorable about the tarts, and one can easily buy a tastier one outside. Skip it and save your stomach for some other awesomeness.Fried Prawn Roll with Mango :: One of my favorite dishes of the day. Mango in a dim sum dish just westernized itself a little, in my opinion – very fresh. As is the following dish, Golden Fried Banana Roll with Yam, another one with fruits.Roasted Crispy Duck with Mango Sauce :: Hands down, the winning dish of the day, or, winning dish of the restaurant Although I haven’t tried all of their dishes, but still! The crispy skin of the duck, the special mango sauce, and the unique decorations & additions of kiwi, cherry, and generally fruits (once again) to the duck. It was a challenge restraining myself from ordering another plate of this gold. A must try.Many raving reviews on this piece of art. I thought it was only okay, although I love the part where it is topped with my favorite mushroom of all – enoki mushroom. You can give it a shot, maybe we just have different tastes.

I’d rate this a full 4 stars for its sheer good food, but somehow, I just don’t see myself coming back another time. I’d rate this a 3.5 stars if there is one. Alas, it doesn’t. So, 3 stars it is.

https://thechosenglutton.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/we-spent-hours-on-15-minutes/

This isn’t necessarily a justifiable picture reflecting that of the outstanding ambience of the cafe – especially when dusk is imminent. Housing up to approximately 120 patrons, the cleverly dimly-lit cafe, made me, for one, felt cozy and welcomed when I stepped in. Actually, I do believe I’m not the only one who felt the same way (after this friend of mine who insisted on wanting to have Nando’s Chicken for dinner instead, complimented on the ambience too). It was a silent consent that it was a good start to our highly-anticipated (because no one had tried it before) meal.

The concept and design of the cafe sure lived up to the standard of an Arts’ School’s cafe. You can see cut-outs of magazine pages, with words like ‘Oasis of Calm’ and ‘Propaganda Agenda’ taking up the huge fonts on the wall and pillars – how appropriate. You can choose to have your seat by the bar, at the sofa area, or at the proper dining area – the genial waitpersons would lead you to whatever floats your boat.

I was frantically flipping through the pages to set my fingers on the dish I had already pre-set my mind on – Duo Lamb Chop. But very disappointingly, I couldn’t find it, even though I remembered vividly seeing it on its official website (and now that I’ve checked – it IS there. They just need to do a much-needed update on their website’s menu, because it’s at least 50% different, just so you don’t fall for it like I did). After finally convinced that there isn’t going to be any lamb, I flipped between the pages titled ‘Salad In A Jar’ and ‘Main Courses’ to hopefully make up for it.Cajun Dory :: I settled for Cajun Dory; I’ve always loved Dory fish. If you’re not one who can take spiciness, fret not – even though it looks like it can potentially burn your tongue (for non-spicy eaters), it actually isn’t as bad as you think. In fact, it can get sweeter than you think. The fish itself is done just right – soft, and it splits into pieces just by a slight push of your tongue. The only thing I don’t like about this is its sides (or the lack thereof) – broccoli. Nope. Hard and dry. Dry and tasteless. My stomach wasn’t anywhere near full after finishing that course though.Fiery Chicken Thigh :: Oh hey, try this first. Tender is the word. All of us took a bit, and all of us fell in love with it. Spicy it is, but I love it that way. My friend who had this course went ga-ga over the herb butter rice too. lol. Most, if not all of us, agreed that this would be the course we’d order the next time we come (together with other groups of friends of ours – it’s so good we’re going to start spreading the words).Mixed Seafood Spaghetti :: Other dishes we tried include Mixed Seafood Spaghetti, which wasn’t as good as the rest. It was below average (PastaMania can definitely do better), so I wouldn’t really encourage ordering of pasta (the rule for myself is not to order pasta in restaurants/cafes not well known for it, because it’d usually suck/just be average. Well unless the variety of the main courses fail, then I may take a chance).Chili Beef + Sausage :: And then there’s this dish, with the big, juicy, thick – sausage. lol. I got a bite of the sausage, it was easy to the teeth, very different from usual ones I’ve tried (harder and a little more chewy – depends on which you like). My friend commented that Superdog’s chili beef’s nicer than this. So – I don’t usually eat beef, I wouldn’t know.4 Cheese Pizza (Vegetarian) :: Before even taking a bite, I could smell the creamy and buttery fragrance of the cheese. Just have to put it out there – I LOVE CHEESE. Mozzarella cheese. Blue cheese. Feta cheese. Cheddar cheese. If you are as much a cheese lover as I am – please do try this. There are 8 pieces to 1, so if need be, order this as a side like we did. The only negative point I have to the pizza is its thin-crust. It was a little too hard for our liking, and at some point, it disturbs the salty and sweet cheesy taste.Warm Duck Salad | Udon & Prawn Salad :: They are the reason I was there in the first place. Saw the picture of the Salad In A Jar, and I fell in love without second thought. It was love at first sight. lol. Although there were only like 6 pieces of roasted duck meat brushed with honey inside the Warm Duck Salad, each and every piece of it was worth it. I couldn’t bear to swallow what was in my mouth. And the mandarin orange in it made the salad taste funky, in a good way – you know, it’s not just green-ness and leafiness. Occasionally, when you need a change in taste, just pop an orange into your mouth – it’s good.
The Udon & Prawn Salad was more average. I’d pick the warm duck salad over the udon and prawn, although I must say that it’s a unique creation, very nice.

After filling our stomachs up with the appetizers, main courses, and sides, we decided to order some drinks while chillin’ out at the sofa area, right in front of the performance stage (yeah because it was comfortable lying around, doing nothing, and catching up).Somehow, just somehow, each of the 3 cocktails we got tasted like cough mixture. Mine tasted more like fever mixture, I gotta say, but still. I am absolutely clueless, if it was just us or.. I’ve always got a thing for cocktails, but that night was meh. That glass of German Beer won our hearts at the end of the night, lol.
By the way, the cocktails cost $15++ each, and $12++ for the beer.

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable night at 15 Minutes. If you know you’re happy then you spend more money. We spent some $40 per person over the 3-4 hours there, so yeah. This gets 3 stars (✰✰✰) for its generally well-liked food and awesome ambience to hang out and chill out on any other night.

—> NOTE #1: Live performances are only on Wednesdays (starting 7.30PM), Saturdays and Sundays (starting 8.30PM).

—> NOTE #2: They have the usual order-and-payment system. Both can be done from your table through the waitpersons.

https://thechosenglutton.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/pizza-at-la-nonna/

A few of my decade-old friends and I went to Holland Village just the other day to hang out and have dinner, and decided on La Nonna after wandering and loitering the area for a little while. For me, it’s always hard to make a decision at Holland Village, what with the side by side by side bar cum restaurants down the street – we’re basically spoiled for choices. Having read up a tad’ bit about the restaurants at Holland V., and La Nonna being one of the few that caught my eyes, we settled for it.

The picture may not look as ambience-filled as it actually is, but if you ever intend to give this a try, ask for seats upstairs, level 2. To sidetrack a little here, when we went to the restroom (which was at level 2) at the end of our meal, we were like all pleasantly surprised at the very nice presentation and ambience of the dining area. Pity, it was booked that day we went there, so we weren’t given a seat upstairs even though we asked.

It’s always satisfying to have bread / nachos in many Mexican restaurants served before our main courses, because more often than not, we’re all starving while waiting. So we dug in immediately, and I must say, this dry but soft and tasty bread is, ‘like a nice only’. Hah.

We chose to have a pizza each after looking at the (long) list of thin-crust pizzas they have. They all have catchy, (Spanish I guess) names for the pizzas.

Nera Pizza :: $19.00++
The ever so peculiar and unique type of pizza / pasta – Squid Ink Pizza. It’s topped with a few of my favorite seafood – prawns, scallop and calamari. Needless to say, I fell in love with it.

Caprino Pizza :: $19.00++
Cold cuts’ definitely my cup of tea, and so this pizza, topped with pancetta ham, caught my attention, on top of the very interesting goat cheese being part of it. It sounds exotic enough to whet my appetite. With the mozzarella cheese, it’s enough of cheese to satisfy my high cheese intake. The rockets on it makes it easier to finish up the whole 12″ pizza.Cocodde Pizza :: $19.00++
Food being food – it is subjective. I’m not really a mushroom person (not unless it’s sauteed mushroom in English breakfasts), so this pizza, topped with shitake mushrooms and chicken sausages, isn’t to my likings. If you’re even just a tiny mushroom hater, don’t, try this.La Nonna 'Signature Pizza' :: $19.00++
This cheesy pizza (literally and metaphorically) is surely topped with some weird stuff – asparagus, half boiled egg and black truffle. Not the safest choice you can get, but the half-boiled egg makes the whole pizza tastes interesting and fresh (if you’re daring enough). Fortunately there isn’t much of the asparagus taste, or I’d have condemned this (not much of a vegetable fan as you can see).

Overall, the pizzas are up to standard, and worth it even though it’s $19 before taxes per pizza. It’s, for sure, filling. Plus, if you’re having the level 2 air-conditioned seats, that price paid is value for money for the ambience too. Service here is undoubtedly good – they’re friendly and will, once in a while, crack a joke or two with you. Now that’s the spirit! If you want to have a place to chill and feel at home, try La Nonna.

—> Note #1: It might look like they do not serve Iced Water what with only a wine glass on the table, but they do. Go ahead and ask for it.

—> Note #2: They have a few daily special dishes written on the board on the inside, and on the glass beside the door on the outside that you can take a look at.

—> Note #3: Like aforementioned, go for the level 2 air-conditioned seats! If you’re up for ambience that is.