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hushpuppy
This is hushpuppy living in Sengkang. I am a enthusiast in the land of foodies..., work in Orchard. I like to hang out in Orchard, Punggol. Japanese, Thai, homecook are my favorite cuisines. I also love Hawker Centre, Restaurant, food and Seafood, Steaks and Grills, Chicken Rice, junk food.
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mycc
217 Review(s)
Level 4
Value for money ramen place! Smile Sep 13, 2013   
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Categories : Japanese | Ramen

Please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-ramen-bar-suzuki-search-for-best.html for full review.

Having returned to Singapore, I learnt from my colleagues that we have a similar ramen craze like that in Hong Kong. With my last bowl of calories worthy ramen from Ichiran, I had since been struggling to find the next best challenger.

Receiving strong recommendations from several colleagues, we thought that Ramen Bar Suzuki would be a close contender. Can they survive the ramen test?

Let us find out!

 
Arriving just after 12pm, a queue was already in sight. It seemed like the customers who obediently formed the queue are regular patrons since they were busy scribbling their choice of ramen and toppings on the order chit located at the front of the restaurant.Unlike Ichiran which only served one type of Tonkotsu ramen with choice over the types of toppings, the menu here had a wider range of offerings. There was the Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (S$12.90/-), Jet Black Pig Bone Ramen (S$13.90/-), Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (S$15.90/-) and various others.

The choice of toppings were similar ranging from flavoured boiled egg (S$1.50/-), black fungus (S$1/-), Yaki Nori Seaweed (S$1/-) to having extra protein with pork belly char siew (S$3/-).We took our seats at the counter as they conveniently became available when our turn was up.By 12.30pm, the eatery was packed busy and full of customers with the main bulk of its clientèle from the offices around the Raffles Place area.

After seeking permission from the serving staff, I got myself shutter busy, oblivious of the ongoing buzz within the restaurant.Many argue that it is hard to find value for money yet calories worthy food around the Raffles Place area. With free flow of sides such as bean sprouts, sliced lettuce, hard boiled eggs and even white rice, could this just be it?It was rather disappointing though that despite waiting for some 10-15 minutes, the empty jar of bean sprouts remained the state it was. I was half expecting it to be filled having heard about how crunchy and addictive it can be.

On a fairer note, I succumbed to picking up the few miserable strands left in the glass jar. Given that it was free and offered free-flow, I should not be asking for more, but on this occasion, I actually wanted to ask for more, literally. It was crunchy and fresh, despite being soaked in a sesame based gravy.For that extra kick of fragrance, you could get it from the range of little plastic containers readily available on the tables, which even have garlic flakes for that added oomph! Just mind the burp, excuse me. Do not forget your free flow of iced tea to soothe that heat.

There is a mantra here at Ramen Bar Suzuki that details how best to enjoy your bowl of ramen.

1) Taste one spoon of the soup.
2) Eat the noodles fast before it becomes soggy.
3) Grind the sesame into the ramen for extra fragrance.
4) Want intensity and added richness? Sprinkle some garlic chips into the broth.
5) Toss in some petite pieces of fried pork if you ain't a weight watcher.
6) If the noodles ain't enough, get an extra serving! (traditionally known as kaedama)

Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (S$12.90/++)I usually like my noodles a little on the hard side for that al dente touch and texture and this was served just to my liking. The char siew was tender and uniformly sliced to a fine thickness. Serving size was decent even for a guy and the takeaway was that beautiful broth. It was rich and certainly brought out the essence out of that pork bone. While it might not be the easiest task to draw comparison when it comes to broths, I found the one at Ichiran just a notch superior in terms of depth of flavours.

Do not be mistaken. The broth was brilliant but having tried one of the best ramens in Hong Kong and arguably Japan since it was a franchise from Japan, my benchmark of a good rendition is certainly at a high level. This somewhat lacked just that extra bit of oomph to make me swoon all over.

Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen with additional egg and seaweed (S$15.40/++)My dining companion had about the same with the additional toppings. I was disappointed with the egg which was supposed to at least have a semi-runny egg yolk but it seemed not too different from the hard-boiled eggs.

The sliced lettuce and remnants of beansprouts actually complemented the ramen beautifully adding an extra layer of crunchy texture to it. Oh well, do I hear five-a-day?Apparently a few of my colleagues are regular patrons and provided an interesting feedback which I would love to put to a test one day. The noodles provided during lunch time is typically less than that served for dinner for they believe that one should consume less in the day and a relatively larger serving in the evening. This might somewhat make carb sense because they do not serve the free flow rice during dinners.

For those working around the area, you would be familiar with the queue at Ramen Bar Suzuki by now, so if you fancy your bowl of ramen, do try to head there by 12pm to beat the queue and the overbearing afternoon Sun of course.

Quite frankly, I do not think there is much ambiance to speak of. Expect to share tables with strangers (or at least sit awfully close) if you are dining solo or as a couple and I would not really desire to stay long after my meal (at least in the afternoon).

On the service, I thought that the waiting staffs were polite and attentive. Please note that they only accept CASH, so remember to head down to the nearest ATM machine before joining the queue for your bowl of Tonkotsu ramen! Also, the standard practice is to submit your order chit to the receptionist, make your payment then get your table and last your ramen, in that order too.

Personally, I consider the price affordable and matched by a quality broth and ramen. I have my reserves on the toppings and free sides but that was partly due to the fact that they were either not quite up to standard or were not available. Having learnt that titbit on the varied portion size for dinners, I am now quite tempted to bring my lady next to give it a round two test.

Have we found the best ramen in town? Hmm..let us come back to this after trying a few other top picks! Stay tuned for our reviews!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Recommended Dish(es):  Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen
 
Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 3  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 3  |  
Price
 4

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mycc
217 Review(s)
Level 4
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Categories : Japanese | Bakery | Café

We were privileged enough to be invited to the Grand Opening of Flor Patisserie at their latest outlet on Siglap Drive. Quietly tucked away in the residential estate, it surely required quite a fair bit of travelling for those craving for a sweet-tooth fix!

I always like to explore why a specific name was chosen for the eatery or business. 'Flor' is a Portugese word for flower and pronounced in Japanese as 'fu-ro-ru'. It symbolizes love, passion, beauty while the flower embodies the delicate balance of nature and beauty.

It was not our first try of Flor Patisserie's cakes though the last time we tried was a takeaway order. (Review may be found here) Flor Patisserie is essentially a Japanese-styled patisserie that serves authentic Japanese inspired French pastries. Chef Yamashita hails from Japan and brings with him over 20 years of experience in Japanese baking techniques and has spent a year and a half tailoring Flor's cakes to suit the climate and taste of Singaporeans. He draws his inspiration for cakes from flowers and translates the symbolic elements into dessert creations. It is then presented like the flower, a gift from Mother Nature, through the chef's selection of delectable and colourful offerings which resembles the life of a flourishing life garden.

With a clear understanding of the philosophy that goes into the making of these desserts, we were pleasantly welcomed by the hosts and some of the other invited attendees when we eventually find the hideout. It was surely a pleasure to meet up with some other foodies and invited guests and while it was a shame that we did not manage to speak to them much, I am sure there would be a next time to do so!

 

 
Once inside the simply yet clean and chicly decorated eatery, we were captivated by the cakes and pastries on display. Personally, elaborate furnishings somehow just came across as having the customers to pay a premium for the food served so this appealed to me just fine.

Avocado mousse with lemon jelly (Complimentary)

 
This certainly caught my attention as the name itself was pretty exotic to begin with. While we understood a little more from Heidi, the humble chef from Le Cordon Bleu who is responsible for these beautiful creations, we later learnt that this was a new offering yet to be introduced to the public.

We loved the rich flavours of the avocado but perhaps owed to the petite serving, the lemon jelly failed to shine as I could barely taste the zest of it. It was surely an interesting teaser but would require some further tweaking to the presentation before being launched as a dessert standalone.

Strawberry Shortcake (Complimentary)

 
There are too many versions of Strawberry Shortcake out there in the patisserie scene that we become spoilt for choice. If there was one thing to takeaway from this was that impeccable layer of sponge. It was light and fluffy yet maintained slightly moist which gave perfect foundation to build upon this cake. The cream was fresh and light and overall it was a classic cake done elegantly.

Coco Royale (Complimentary)

 
This did not quite live up to my expectation though admittedly I have a very high demand for chocolate cakes. It was an 'okay' chocolate cake in my opinion with the right amount of moisture within the layer of sponge and while we could taste the quality of the dark cocoa, it was somehow pedestrian as it lacked a breakthrough element to make it outstanding on its own. It lacked some texture or variety to give it a notch above and impress our palate.

Napoleon (Complimentary)

 
Personally, I find that there are three main elements to the Napoleon, being the puff pastry, sponge and the sandwiched cream. The one takeaway from Flor Patisserie's cakes and pastries was that you could not quite go wrong with their base bakes such as puff pastry and sponge for they ensure that the quality was top-notch before being served to customers.

With that, the Napoleon won us over, easily. The crispiness of the puff pastry left flakes all over the white table. Apart from the mess, it complemented the soft layer of sponge neatly with the cream. That divine combination of textures was good enough to make me fetch for a second round!

Marron Pie (Complimentary)

 
This was my first try of a marron pie but being made from Japanese chestnut, this pie was surely worthy of our calories! It consists of almond butter cream then baked in a crispy fragrant pastry bottom. This was like a hybrid of muffin and financier but we enjoyed that it was not overly sweet and yet flavourful enough. Could not get enough of those extra crispy pastry bits with a beautiful fragrance.

Despite being an invited food tasting session, I could not resist the other desserts on offer and started ordering away!

Mango Pie (S$6.95/-)

 

 
The name sounded too innocent for this was surely not your usual mango pie. Beautifully encased with a puff pastry base, the middle layer comprised cream and an almond-flavoured pastry similar to that of the marron pie tried. It was finally topped with some fresh mango fruit cubes and mango puree. It was a powerful punch of rich flavours in each mouthful and I especially enjoyed the variance in texture with the puff pastry, cream and the fresh fruit. The toasted bread crumbs was the icing which added just about another layer of texture to this awfully sinful dessert.

It might just be too much for one to finish this, which I imagine would satiate your appetite. I would recommend for this to be shared between two or three.

Exercise caution if you are a weight-watcher for this is a calories-laden dessert, no doubt.

Earl Grey Chocolate (S$6.95/-)

 
At first glance, I readily assumed that this was the classic Mont Blanc but it was when I asked for cake recommendations from Heidi did I cast a second look at this. Earl Grey Chocolate - now I was pretty sceptical about it but since the chef championed it, there was no way to resist giving it a shot.

 
If there was one word to describe, it was sublime. The flavours worked harmoniously with each other, starting from the rich earl grey taste that lingered, chocolate chips, layered sponge cake and the fresh banana fruit nestled in the centre of the cake. What surprised our palate was the addition of crunchy chocolate biscuit bits hidden between the layers of cream and chocolate sponge cake. There was a lot going on with each mouthful and the flavours were rich and bold to say the least but this was really a winner.

Yuzu Green Tea Cheese Tart (S$3.40/-)

 
It actually came across more of a cheesecake than a cheese tart but that was beside the point. Served frozen, it was a well-received treat on this hot afternoon! You could just taste the premium matcha used in the making but the slight let-down was that the yuzu taste was barely evident. The takeaway was rather more of a good matcha cheese tart.

It was mentioned to us that Flor Patisserie are working on bringing in some really good coffee to complement their current offering of cakes. They also have a good range of tea but being a coffee person, that unfortunately did not quite entice.

On the whole, we enjoyed the high quality cakes which were made of natural and fresh ingredients. Flor Patisserie does not use baking powder, artificial rising and softening agents, stabilizers or preservatives. The soft and moist sponge cakes especially were owed to the natural aeration of eggs being whipped to their full peak.

We thank Flor Patisserie for the invite and the sharing session by Heidi on their pastries and future developments. I firmly believe in their tagline which is 'If we won't eat it, we won't serve it'. Certainly looking forward to this outlet being their R&D branch where we should expect more creations underway!

For those who live and work in the Central like us, you could always drop by the branch at Duxton, Funan or Taka to pick-up a few calories-worthy cakes!

For full review and more photos, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-flor-patisserie-cakes-worth-travel.html
 
Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 5  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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eschee
9 Review(s)
Level 2
Food with a French twist Smile Aug 22, 2013   
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Categories : French | Restaurant | Seafood | Steaks and Grills | Burgers and Sandwiches

 

 

 
Mushroom cappuccino ($4.90) Rich, earthy soup made with mushrooms and topped with a salty foam. I would have enjoyed this hearty soup more if not for the tinge of sourness.

 
Saveur’s pasta ($4.90 for entree, $6.90 for main): Saveur’s take on our local bak chor mee (minced meat noodles). Capellini pasta tossed with chili oil, fine-chopped konbu and sakura ebi with minced pork sauce. The pasta was cooked al dente and coated with just the right amount of sauce. For some strange reasons, the mushy meat sauce was reminiscent of a chicken mayo spread. That aside, the dried shrimps added a nice bite to the dish without overpowering it like how the usual hei bi (dried shrimps) can be.

 
Rib eye steak ($22.90 for 180g): Rib eye steak served on truffle mash. Well seasoned and flavourful, the steak was a decent considering the price. Unfortunately, it was a little too rare for medium rare doneness. Though it was a steak dish, the truffle mash stole the limelight. Creamy and fragrant, it certainly was a delight just eating it on its own.

 
Beef tenderloin ($24.90): Beef tenderloin with potato au gratin (pronounced grah-tan), carrot puree, button mushrooms, red radish, baby carrot and beef jus. The steak was well seasoned and sufficiently rested, evident in the juices that was retained despite being cooked to medium doneness (as requested by my friend).

 
Strawberries and cream ($9.90): Basil ice cream, macerated strawberries, meringues and strawberry leather. The basil ice cream paired surprisingly well with the sweet strawberries and doubled up as a palate cleanser too. The meringues were a nice play on the textures, and I particularly liked it with the strawberry leather.

Overall, this is the place to go for decent food with a French twist in a relaxed and casual setting. Not forgetting warm service and affordable prices too. That said, do go to the restaurant with reasonable expectations and bear in mind the amount you are paying.

Read the full review on: http://asperchee.wordpress.com/
 
Recommended Dish(es):  Strawberries and cream
 
Spending per head: Approximately $25(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 5

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tanyachloe
163 Review(s)
Level 4
Addicted! Smile Aug 04, 2013   
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Categories : Multi-Cuisine | Café

 
Addictions (with the main one at 22 @ Dempsey!) is the new chic cafe in Marina Square with its newly renovated wing! Quirky and whimsical in every sense, this cafe has something to be discovered in every nook & cranny.

 
Their menu offers soups, salads, all day breakfast (!!!! did I just hear you squeal in excitement!!), mains and even desserts (which by then, we were too full to squeeze anything in)

 
Their drink menu is by the side, with the menu on wooden chipboards and every chipboard that you pull out will be for a different drink category, etc 'Elixir of Life' for juces as well as their wine list, cocktail list and coffee list etc. A whimsical touch that we enjoyed because every category came with a short writeup/description that was pretty entertaining.

They also offer Antipodes water, for those who are seeking water from the springs of life.

 
More small touches that we enjoyed. Incidentally, the staff here also have something different printed on their shirts. One says 'Wave for space cakes; and others read 'High on wheat' etc. Super interesting concept.

We ordered a Salmon Eggs Ben ($16), Crabmeat Pasta ($23) and 2 Coronas ($11 each), the bill came up to $71.

 
The Crabmeat Pasta is creamier here than that at Marmalade Pantry. The taste of the crab is also more subtle so it's great for people who wish to enjoy the crustacean without having to sit through the strong aroma of crab permeating your pasta sauce. The sauce is very tomatoey (reminiscent of cream of tomato soup!) and creamy. We would have liked it with a bit more herbs just to bring out the flavour of the sweet tomatoes.

 
The Salmon Eggs Ben served with sauteed mushrooms is a classic favourite with patrons. I felt that the hollandaise sauce was a bit lemony for my liking, I would have preferred it a bit creamier and smoother, but some people may like the zesty taste. The English muffin could also be a bit crustier, but on the whole it was a decent eggs ben -the poached eggs had the right texture. The mushrooms were good -the flavour really came out and it was a nice savoury complement to the dish.

 
Corona to complement everything... and if you were wondering why the water is pink (we did too, and we asked the friendly staff!), it's because the water has glaced cherries soaked inside, so the pink coloring comes from the cherries...Honestly we don't feel that it made a difference to the taste of the water but hey, it's an interesting touch and we laughed about it with the staff (she agreed that it did not make a difference either and she didn't understand why they were doing it haha).

The ambience is great, the food is good and the service is stellar. The staff will come around and ask if we liked the dishes, and their attempt at making you feel at home is just impeccable. We filled up a survey form, and drew an extra box next to 'Good' (we titled it V. Good) just so we could tick in that box for service!

If you're in Marina Square, you may want to give their Eggs Ben a try, their potato pancakes are also relatively in demand. The crabmeat pasta is also worth a try smile Ps. They also offer Sticky Date Pudding, if you're a sticky date fan. Definitely going back to check this out.
 
Recommended Dish(es):  Eggs Ben,Crabmeat Pasta
 
Date of Visit: Aug 03, 2013 

Spending per head: Approximately $35(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 3  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 5  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 3

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tanyachloe
163 Review(s)
Level 4
Imperial High Tea OK Aug 04, 2013   
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Categories : Sichuan | Dim Sum

There are 3 locations at which one can enjoy the Imperial High Tea for $28.80++, at Beach Road, Serangoon or at the 60th floor of UOB Plaza, overlooking the city skyline and towering skyscrapers. For such a prime location, you'd expect it to get snapped up during the weekends so we suggest making reservations. (Walk-ins are usually turned away, disappointed, due to lack of space!)

The interior has a lot of Chinese touches, such as bamboo and wooden stool inspired chairs. There is a lot of wood used for a warm, homey feel. The entire restaurant is spacious and large, with private guestrooms as well for private dinners and business meetings.

 
From this menu given, you can see that there will be 3 teas served (staggered, throughout the meal) as well as 9 other dishes.

 
Out of all 3 teas, I liked Long Jing and Pu er as it had a subtle fragrance to it that went down very smoothly. The Long Jing comes in a glass tea cup where you have to drink it by angling the lid (the tea leaves are in the cup) so that you won't drink the leaves in too.

 
The other 2 teas were served in tiny porcelain tea cups, which were dainty and really provided a nice touch to the whole feel of the high tea.

 

 
(Left) This is the fried osmanthus with water chestnut. To be honest, this was a bit strange for me because it tasted like the Chinese fried Nian Gao. The sweetness and the texture was similar too, the only difference was that it had osmanthus (gui hua) in it, and that provided a nice fragrance, albeit faint. I didn't really like this dish, it was a bit odd for me.

(Right) The sweet potato glutinous rice ball was served in a small spoon-like dish, in sweet soup. The ball wasn't sticky and starchy, it had a nice gluey texture to it and the taste of sweet potato was distinct. It's chewy, soft and I really liked how the sweet potato gave this substance instead of it being just another starchy rice ball. The sweetness of the 'tangshui' was also just right.

 
(Left) The steamed crystal dumpling with osmanthus really surprised me, the texture of it was soft and it looked like it might be gluey, but it held its shape. The inside was delicious -the dumpling was chockfull of vegetable with bursts of the refreshing scent of osmanthus. The skin of the dumpling wasn't sticky too.

(Right) The lotus root roll was a nice savoury snack -it had the crunch of the lotus root and yet the skin was really smooth. A nice contrast in flavours, this reminded me of a vegetarian chee cheong fun! (Couldnt really taste the osmanthus in this one, but it was still good)

 
(Left) Minced meat dumpling in chilli oil would have been good if not for the fact that there was so much garlic in the sauce! The chilli oil it was doused in provided a nice kick to the otherwise plain meat dumpling, but the bitterness as well as the sting of the garlic was a bit sharp for my liking. Maybe this could have been avoided by dipping the dumpling into lesser sauce.

(Right) The noodle with onion oil was well cooked, it had a delicate flavour which was deliciously appetising. The noodles were springy and had a good, slightly chewy texture. My only gripe would be that this dish is REALLLY oily. The flavours however, were gearing for light,refreshing and subtle. This they succeeded.

 
(Left) The pea shoot dumpling had a slightly thicker skin, with a lesser translucent quality compared to the crystal dumpling. The taste however was satisfactory, the pea shoot still had some crunch, and this dumpling proved to be a good savoury snack. I would have liked it slightly more juicy though!

 
The homemade beancurd with wolfberry tasted like ordinary tau hway to me. Nevertheless, it wasn't too sweet and the texture of the beancurd is really silky smooth. When paired with wolfberries, it tasted surprisingly good! A small bowl is just nice for rounding off the high tea.

It was only after we had left and revisited our photos that we realised that they had left out the Deep Fried Chicken Puff ): The service is relatively good here, and they keep topping up the water for the teas. Service is also pretty efficient, and 2 dishes come out at one go, so it isn't a painful wait for every dish to be served. At $28.80++, I wouldnt say it's really worth it (don't get me wrong, the food is definitely decent), but it's worth the experience. Chinese high tea is more centred on having many small dishes similar to dim sum, lots of tea, good conversation and a mix of sweet and savoury.

If you wish to order ala carte, this can also be done, but we recommend just sticking to the given menu. After all, they have planned out a good variety/range of dishes ranging from fried, steamed and boiled/handmade.
 
Date of Visit: Aug 03, 2013 

Spending per head: Approximately $32(Tea)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 5  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 3

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