Came to MAD for a team lunch and from the moment you walk in, you will see a display of furniture, books and other items that will make you think you've walked into a modern furniture stall instead! Very nice concept as it made me curious to venture in further. Check out the interior. They use a very pleasing color scheme of soft blue, vibrant red and black. I really do feel like I'm in a modern arts display area! It did worry me that this place would fare better in the decor than the food but will find out when the food arrives. There are more private seating areas along the side of the restaurant. I like the whole curtain decoration which makes it look like one of those private areas at opera houses and the red wall gives it a very sexy feel. Like a setting for one of those secret rendezvous meeting between lovers at a ritzy opera. Hehe! The iconic symbol of MAD is the Chinese Opera face as seen on their napkin. I guess the juxtaposition of a traditional image like the Chinese Opera in a modern layout is to show the concept of mixing the contemporary and the old school style. More images of the Chinese Opera face on coasters but in vibrant pops of color! I really love this kind of Andy Warhol design. Our first dish is the Deep-Fried Liu Sha Bao ($4.80). Now the Liu Sha Bao I've usually had are the steamed and soft variety. This deep fried version has a harder crust but the inside has the usual oozy salted egg yolk. Honestly, I still prefer the steamed version but after a few bites, it does grow on you. Think of it as deep fried man tou dipped in salted egg yolk. Next dish is the Black Angus Siew Mai ($6.20) and unfortunately I do not fancy this dish much. The beef is quite tough and didn't carry much flavour. My idea of black angus beef was it to be tender soft and juicy, but alas the siew mai turned out quite dry. From this cross section, you can see how "compact" the beef is and how dry it is. I had to dip it generously in chili sauce to get some extra flavour to it. Now comes my main dish - the Josper-grilled Wagyu Beef Claypot Rice ($26). This wonderful claypot creation comes with one damn sexy hot spring egg and is drizzled with aromatic truffle dressing. I cannot tell you how exquisite this decadent dish is. It's so good I had to bold the name. Tender slices of Wagyu feed cooked to medium rare perfection, the large onsen egg, the smell of truffle oil... I was in food heaven. Crack the egg and mix it with the rice and tender beef, then just dig in. It was silky, savory and I love every morsel of it. The beef was really good (I wish there were more slices!) and that egg gives me a Japanese feel as people in Japan likes to mix raw eggs to coat their rice to be sticky. Believe me, you will be scrapping the bottom of the claypot as this is super good! To end the meal, I had one of their signature cocktails - The Strawberry Shortcake ($14). This drink is mildly sweet, only a slight bite of alcohol and comes with a shortbread biscuit. The color is very pretty and girl. I find it refreshing and a good beverage to have on a hot sunny day!

The menu could be a hit and miss so I would say go for their wagyu beef series!

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier. A common sight in many local shopping malls where the brand adorns kiosks hawking stunning arrays of everything chocolate. But what I only just recently discovered was how the same brand name would be whispered almost in reverence when it comes down to chocolate soufflés.The outlet at The Pier at Robertson if I'm not mistaken, is the only Laurent Bernard Chocolatier selling more than their standard chocolates and thus offer dine-in facilities , both indoors and alfresco seating. Chocolate lovers throng the cafe throughout the day, but it's only at night when it really becomes packed with dessert lovers and chocoholics alike.
P.S.: The name on the signboard actually says Laurent Cafe & Chocolate BarInside the cafe, it feels like a jaunt into a spruced up cafe from olden times - Victorian looking furniture and furnishings, a spick and span counter alongside a display fridge where you pick your ice creams from, lit overhead by a bunch of bare light bulbs.Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé - $18
Getting down to the core agenda of my visit - the legendary Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé. Prepared only on demand to ensure quality and freshness, each order takes approximately 15 minutes of waiting time. A paltry wait when the soufflé is finally served. All puffed up with a luscious looking chocolaty crown, the soufflé was served with a white chocolate sauce and a side of raspberry ice cream. Cutting into the soufflé and its soft yielding middle, wafts of aromatic chocolate hits you immediately. It was light, yet rich at the same time, and the centre was slightly gooey still, giving an interesting contrast to the dish as a whole.

One word: Delightful

I for one would not advocate the white chocolate sauce. When I tried it, it was a little too watered down for my taste. Views on the raspberry ice creams remain divided. It's super citrus-y and acidic and while it adds to the flavour profile, you've got to be a fruity person to enjoy it.

Some people might say, $18 for a soufflé, or any dessert at that is really overpaying it. But I still really enjoyed it as any chocoholic or dessert lover would. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier has just set the benchmark for chocolate soufflés for me, and I very much look forward to my next return visit.

Part of the Tung Lok Group of restaurants, and fronted by celebrity singer/songwriter Dick Lee, MAD: Modern Asian Diner is one of those restaurants you definitely would not want to miss out on. Cast in soft warm lighting, stepping into this restaurant at The Grandstand is like walking into an art gallery of sorts. Decked out in bold bright colours, the decor is definitely befitting of Dick Lee’s eclectic and flamboyant sense of style.

Marrying the best of both Asian and Western cuisine, MAD serves up a good variety of Chinese dim sum and also some Spanish tapas. And if you’re ever in need of a potent drink any time of the day just head on down to their bar counter, helmed by mixologist Kino Soh, for a cocktail or two. =DWell, I’m not exactly a teetotaler but I seldom drink alcoholic beverages in mid-day unless I’m on holiday lounging on the beaches of the Caribbean or something. So I decided to go for a kiddie mocktail instead – Pink Thyme Lemonade($4), which looks equally pretty but without the alcoholic kick. =P You can really taste the crushed up herbs in the drink and it makes for a refreshing beverage to chill down on a hot day.One of the interesting dim sum that caught my eye was the Black Angus Siew Mai 黑安格斯烧卖 ($6.20). Sadly, the novelty of putting black angus beef into a siew mai did not translate into a palate-pleasing dish. Its chewy and springy texture was quite an interesting take on a siew mai, but it was a little bit on the dry side.Is it just me being ignorant? But I seldom come across Deep-Fried Liu Sha Bao 炸流沙包 ($4.80). In fact, this was my first time trying a liu sha bao that has been deep fried instead of the usual steamed version. And I must say that it is OH-SO-GOOD! The fluffy insides encased in a crispy skin and oozing golden salted egg yolk lava was simply divine. Well, it was a little on the oily side, but there’s no harm in indulging in a sinful treat once in a while. =DEveryone has been raving about how good the Wagyu Beef Claypot Rice is, but I decided to try the Lobster Crispy Noodle 龙虾面 ($32) instead. The noodles were deep fried to a crisp and there is this distinct smokey and burnt flavour to it even though it doesn’t look burnt. Plus, the lobster meat was really fresh and prepared skillfully such that the meat is springy and just about right, not at all overcooked. My only gripe is that the gravy was way too salty and the noodles were a bit difficult to eat since it was displayed in a standing tower of sorts. They also threw in some seaweed on the side which adds a splendid “oceanic” tone to the dish.Overall my experience at MAD: Modern Asian Diner was a pretty good one. What’s not to like about a chic ambiance, fuss-free ordering via iPads and all that good booze? The service staff were also pretty friendly and showed us how to make our orders via the iPad step by step – he even brought over an additional iPad instead of having the 4 of us share just one single device. I would probably pop by again for happy hour if I get the chance!

For more food reviews, check out my blog at www.jerjerjer.com!

I have been wanting to patronise Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice for a long time. Have heard several reviews about this place which dishes out delicious Claypot Chicken Rice.Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice is located at Luk Luk Eating House which is an old coffee shop. Dirty walls, dirty flooring that was cracked and olden days shutters. With a very clean signboard! It is between Beach Road and Aliwal Street near Bugis and Lavendar. There are three MRT stations nearby namely; Bugis, Nicoll Highway and Lavendar.The signboard states clearly that there is at least a waiting time of 15minutes. On the signboard there is a telephone number on it (8222 6360) and if you notice in the above picture, the 'chef' has a ear piece to his ear. The reason for this is so that customers can order before hand.Wow, look at the number of claypot he is handling at any one time during peak hours. And to the bottom left of the picture, he has a big bowl of uncooked rice ready. It is comforting to know that the rice is cooked in the claypot itself and no short cut was taken.Since there was two of us, naturally, we ordered the Claypot Chicken Rice for 2 person. I can't remember how long we waited, but it should be close to 15 minutes. The Claypot Chicken Rice arrived covered in black sauce, cabbage and ikan bilis.After mixing it, it is ready to be scooped into smaller bowl. The cabbage was fresh and crunchy providing a fresh and sweet flavour. At the sides of the claypot, surprisingly there was virtually no charred rice which I somehow missed. The rice was not dry unlike other claypot rice, it was slightly moist. However, it was not as fragrance as there was no salted fish was added. The star is its 'Grade A' Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat. The chicken meat was juicy, tender and boneless which is a big plus.

Certainly, I will be back to try it again.

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2011/10/fei-kee-claypot-chicken-rice.html

It was a nice place for brunch and hanging out with friends. I brought my friend to try on their all day breakfast. We ordered English breakfast and European breakfast and it was a huge portion for individual and we enjoyed the brunch. English breakfast which consists of scrambled eggs, back bacon, cumberland pork sausages, sauteed mushrooms,Dad's baked beans, breakfast potatoes, grilled wine ripened tomato & signature brioche. I love the taste of the tomato and the scrambled eggs are creamy smooth. The bread is soft and totally filling once you finish a slice of it.
As for the European breakfast, which consists of eggs Benedict with two perfectly poached eggs,sauteed mushrooms, imported Italian prosciutto and home made Hollandaise sauce on signature brioche. Well, the portion looks tiny, the set is actually quite filling. PH finished up the first portion and need to rest a while before can finish up the second one.

For more information, check out my blog post here
http://hazelnutlife.blogspot.sg/2012/04/wild-honey-scotts-square.html