amandalim's Profile

The queue looks super long. We waited 25mins for a table of 4 & started queuing at 6.25pm. However, I have to say for a franchise chain... Nam Nam does serve one of the best vietnamese food in Singapore, at convenient locations too. I would highly recommend it.I always get the beef steak pho (well-done meat). They put red chili slices in the soup so if you're not a big fan of the spicy stuff remember to ask them to take it out. The imperial rolls are another one of the must-try items. Unlike typical rolls, these are imperial ones are traditional rice paper instead of the egg-based wrapping. This makes them crispier which I love! The only item that did not blow my socks off was the banh minh which I found to be pretty ordinary (unlike the ones I had in Vietnam!).…Read More

So apparently you have to eat at the adjacent restaurant to get a password to get into The Library just so you can buy a drink in there. Seems like a lot of work to me! What if I just wanted a drink sans dinner? How does that work? Well that was exactly how I was feeling that afternoon when I walked pass The Library. So I decided to try my luck and charm the bouncer (not sure if this is the right term) to let me in without a password! After an intense series of negotiations... He decided if I could make him laugh, he would let me pass. I pulled up an old joke I remembered from high school, a tad bit nationalist, but funny nonetheless... and he cracked into a smile! That was it! I was in!!! Inside The Library, one could barely see anything. It was as dark as night, despite being in the middle of the afternoon. No windows. Just dim table lamps occasionally scattered around the place. It feels like you've been thrown back to the 1930s, the age of prohibition, and you've just stepped into a forbidden underground bar. My bartender had bright pink XiaXue-like hair. He recommended the top secret. It seems to fit the ambiance and I was feeling mysterious (whatever that means). My friend had the Teh halia (literally ginger tea in Bahasa Melayu). Mine was fruity and yogurty. Hers was a tad bit too spicy. $27 each. Drinks were ok. Overall, an interesting experience and a great tourist attraction! But I am not sure if it's worth the hassle of retrieving a password? But I do appreciate the marketing ploy of exclusivity!…Read More

I found a review online that mentioned the Ribeye steak was worth a shot! Steak in a cafe didn't seem like the natural option but none of the other items on the menu impressed me much so I decided to go for it! What's the worst that could happen? $27 wasted and a sad face. Boy! Was I glad I decided to take the path less travelled! The Ribeye steak was delicious (I had it medium done)! Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their burgers! My friend asked the cashier, "what's good here?"She replied, "up to you lor"Unsatisfied with the answer I chimed in, "but what would you recommend?"She asked, "the burger" He decided to go with her recommendation but we weren't impressed. The meat was subpar. It tasted kinda chewy and over marinated... kinda like cheap sausage meat grounded into a patty? Either she has poor taste or she gave him really bad information. Coffee-wise, I really didn't think that they were as good as Nylon etc. Passable but it wasn't impressive.Service was also rather slow that day. My steak came out on time but my friends' food didn't. Ambiance-wise, Wheeler is unbeatable! A beautiful hipster cafe! I love the concept and the deco. Not so much the location and the parking. There's barely enough lots to fit 5% of the customers. They only have 4 lots out front. All 4 were taken when we arrived. Plus, the remote location (an industrial like area) didn't really help because it wasn't very accessible via public transportation so I wished they had more parking space!…Read More

I love Tim Ho Wan. Great tim sum at affordable prices! Like everything in life that is awesome, there's gotta be a catch and at Tim Ho Wan it's the queue. Sadly, one of the things I hate most in life is waiting. Such a waste of time when we have such fleeting lives! I think of all the unproductive hours people waste in queues and it makes me want to cry!!! I do my best to avoid them... But I really do want those Baked Bun with BBQ Pork!!! They taste like perfect little bo lo baos - a pillowy soft bread with a crunchy and sugary top crust which looks like a biscuit. So I go either super early (before they open) or super late (just before they close). This means having an early lunch or late dinner (9pm) but that's a sacrifice I am willing to make. You know it's not dim sum until there's Har Gao, Siew Mai and Chee Cheong Fun (Prawn) on the table! These are a few of my favorite items for dim sum. They do it well but I wouldn't say they are lightyears ahead of their competitors here. These are pretty standard simple dishes to make and most decent dim sum places make these well too! Service-wise, I am thoroughly impressed with the lighting speed of their servers and chefs. It's scary how efficient Chinese people are (especially those working in Chinese restaurants). The only other place I've witness such efficiency is at Ding Tai Fung. I am convinced the bottleneck is not in the kitchen or with the service... it's simply that customers cannot chew and swallow their food fast enough! Hence, the lines. Sadly, if only humans had wider esophagus and didn't feel the need to make small talk over meals. Just kidding!…Read More

I eat at Shinzo more times than I care to admit. It's my guilty pleasure! I would highly recommend the Omakase dinners if you have the time to indulge in good food and warm hospitality. Chef Lawrence Chia (brother of Chef Ronnie Chia, Tatsuya at Goodwood Park Hotel) helms the culinary team at Shinzo. Like most well trained Sushi Chefs, Chia is able to engage in lively, animated conversations with his guests at the Sushi counter without accidentally cutting his fingers! I've had their Omakase dinner and their weekly special lunch set. All the items in the sets are also available in the a la carte section on the menu. It's great quality food at a reasonable price ($150). As Ancy N puts it, "omakase is brilliant, but oh so expensive (you can easily cough out $300 and up per pax)". Omakase (お任せ) is a Japanese phrase that means "I'll leave it to you" which essentially means you are entrusting the chef with your meal. No choices. Just eat. Initially, I was skeptical to this dining concept because I am a picky eater but my dad (a Japanese culinary fanatic) ensured me that everything will be alright so I decided to give it a go! Chef Chia did make it a point to ask me if there was anything that I did not like eating and food that I have a strong inclination towards. He then proceed to design courses I would be having throughout my meal. DINNER ($150) APPETIZERS & STARTERS: 1. Grilled cutter fish slices served with mayo dipping sauce at the side which was topped with Tobiko (fish roe). 2. Hotate foie gras (Scallop and foie gras) - Another lovely fusion of sweet scallop and the beloved french delicacy. The presentation was excellent! 3. Uni Chawanmushi (I ordered this on the side) - It came highly recommended by Straits Times food editor, Tan Hsueh Yun, and it was delicious! SASHIMI:Chef Chia generously dished out the sashimi platter which consisted of salmon, tuna, hamachi, toro, sword fish and prawn. This can only be described with 1 word - OISHII !!! HOT DISHES (by Chef Daniel): 1. Kuro Buta Katsu - Juicy pieces of black pig's meat deep fried till golden brown with breadcrumbs. 2. Lamb Rack Ninnikuyaki - Lamb rack in radish garlic sauce4. Salt grilled fish - It was one of the best grilled fish I've ever had. Crispy on the outside but its meat was still so soft and tender on the inside that it just melts in your mouth! There was no fishy taste at all. This fish was perfect sans marinate! I am impressed. NIGIRI SUSHI: Next came Chef Chia's famous handmade nigiri sushi! The fish is flown in directly from Japan. 1. Toro2. Engawa3. Katsuo4. Kajiki5. Shima-aji DESSERTS: To end the meal on a sweet note, we had some seasonal fruits: 1. Muskmelon - Without a doubt the muskmelon was the star of the platter. It was so sweet and smooth! This Japanese melon is regarded as a high-priced gift in Japan and can cost up to $62 per melon! 2. Ice-cream (I ordered this separately) - Shinzo has 3 flavors of ice-cream. Matcha, black sesame, yuzu (seasonal) and grape (seasonal). I prefer the yuzu and Matcha (topped with red bean). ---NOODLES (I had on a separate occasion): 1. Wagyu Beef Somen - I loved the Sōmen noodles, they are very thin white Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. 2. Tuna on angel hair paste - Interesting fusion dish! Loved it! ---LUNCH SET ($68): I ordered the Executive lunch set which came with...APPETIZERS & STARTERS: 1. Pitan tofu - A fusion of the silky smooth Japanese cold tofu drizzled with a century egg dressing and topped with little bits of century egg and Tobiko (fish roe). 2. Kani Sarada - Crab meat salad in spicy lemon dressing. I loved the dressing! The crab pincer meat was also very sweet and fresh. HOT DISHES: 3. Salt Grilled yellow tail cheek - Chef Chia knows that the salt grilled fish are my favorite so he tries to include it in my set whenever possible. 4. Fish soup - Its taste is similar to a miso soup with yellow tail fish pieces inside. Initially, I was worried it might taste fishy (boiled fish and all) but my fears were unwarranted. 5. Chirashi (Sashimi with sushi rice) - I requested the Hamachi and Salmon. It was delicious and the portions was very generous too! Overall excellent experience! My tip would be try to book in advance to get a counter seat like Cindy Q mentioned in her review. I believe the full Shinzo experience is one that not only consist of great quality Japanese food but being hosted by the Chef. Chef Chia is full of entertaining stories, witty comments and is a of fun to banter with!…Read More