IKEA Restaurant & Cafe at Alexandra is also known as The IKEA Food Store. According to a report published last year, the best seller is actually their chicken wings and their Swedish Meatballs are their second best sellers in Singapore selling up to 39,000 meatballs daily! If that is the case, I wonder how many chicken wings they sell each day!IKEA Restaurant & Cafe is normally very crowded, but the good news is that their dining area is huge! It was quite easy getting a table. There are also microwaves available should you need to heat up your food. IKEA Restaurant & Cafe is a self-service restaurant. Its concept is similar to a school's or army's cafeteria where customers queue up to take a tray, going to the different sections to order their food. There are also trolleys specially to put trays on it to make it easier to buy lots of food! Great concept. The flip side is that the food is typically prepared before hand and place on warmers. They are not cooked on the spot.Once you have collected your food, you will be required to pay up at the cashier. Fortunately, there was no need to lift all the trays up from the trolley. The cashier is able to tally the items without you needing to lift a finger.IKEA changed their Swedish Meatball (10 pcs) $5.50 recipe to make it softer and also more authentic. There were many customers who posted in IKEA Singapore's Facebook and also on forums requesting for IKEA to switch back to the previous Meatball recipe. After trying the Swedish Meatballs (made of a mixture of pork and beef), I am also one of those who prefer the previous version. This new version was way too soft, lacked texture and was not springy. The potatoes at the side were disappointing. they were hard and powdery.

Editor Note: IKEA Singapore temporary stopped the sales of their meatballs amid the horse meat scandal and sent their meatballs for DNA testing to ensure that they contain no horse meat. After the test results showed that there were no horse meat in the meatballs, IKEA Singapore released a press statement on 7 March stating that they will resume the sales of meatballs on 8 March 2013. To mark the return of the meatballs, IKEA will sell the meatballs at $0.10 per piece on 8 March 2013. The Chicken Wings were mouthwatering. The Chicken Wings $2.80 were so well marinated that even the meat on the inside were tasty and fragrant. As for the outside, the skin was so crispy. Finger licking good and addictive. It will be hard to stop at one. Almost every table in here has a plate of Chicken Wings.The Poached Salmon with Chives Sauce $7.90 was delish. A generous serving of salmon was given and the sauce complemented it perfectly. Again, the potatoes were hard and powdery. The Ribeye Steak served with potatoes, broccoli and mushroom sauce $9.90 was disappointing. The steak was hard, tough and chewy. While the broccoli was overcooked and potatoes were powdery. The only consolation was that the mushroom sauce was quite good.

This time round, I was very disappointed with the quality of food at Ikea Restaurant and Cafe. The Swedish Meatballs, Ribeye Steak and Potatoes were terrible. The Chicken Wings are the only item that makes me want to go back. Can we have the old Swedish Meatballs back, please.

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/03/ikea-restaurant-cafe-alexandra.html

Han's Cafe has been a household name since the 70s. I still remember when I was a kid, we frequently patronise Han's for their cakes. Back then they sold only cakes were considered cheap and good! Over the years, Han's Cafe has commercialised and is now a F&B chain restaurant serving not just cakes and pasty but also a wide variety of food such as sandwiches, western cuisines (e.g. Fish & Chips, Chicken Chop, Pork Chop, Steak, Spaghetti), chinese cuisine (.e.g Hor Fun, Fried Rice). In 2007, they have converted some of their outlets to Hanis which serves food that are Halal certified. Han's Cafe at Suntec was relatively empty on a Saturday evening. It was easy finding a seat and ordering, a contrast to the other neighbouring restaurants such as Sakae Sushi which was packed.After ordering, customers are required to collect some of their orders such as drinks, soup, bread and cakes (if they have ordered such items) at the end of the counter. In addition, customers will be required to collect the utensils themselves. The mains which require more time to cook will be served. This has been the concept of Han's Cafe for since a long long time ago.

We ordered the Grill Dory Fish ($9.80) and Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce ($11.80) All Day Set Meal which was available from 1130am to 930pm. The Sets was served with Soup of the Day, Main Course, Coffee / Tea / Ice Lemon Tea / Orange Juice and Dessert. The Soup Of The Day was the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Although the thickness of the soup was just right, there was barely an hint of mushroom flavour in it. The bread was the typical Han's Cafe Garlic Bread which has not changed for years as far as I can recall. Unlike other restaurants which uses French Loaf Bread, Han's Cafe uses normal bread with a layer of garlic spread on it. I quite like this soft version although it was cold as it I normally dip them into the soup.

Orange juice was average and seemed to be made from syrup. As for the dessert, despite its appearance, it was the nicest item in this meal! The wife ordered the Grilled Fish Dory which I felt disappointing. It was lacking in taste. The Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce was average. The carrots were blanched and boiled in water. The potato wedges were decent. The chicken chop was well cooked and the mushroom sauce helped enhance the taste of the meat which I suspect did not went through much marination (if any). Although there was nothing much to shout about, there was also nothing to fault.

I wonder if I am the only one.. the standard and quality of food at Han's Cafe seems to be deteriorating. They are better off concentrating on what they are good at, which are the cakes. Branching out to serving western and chinese cuisines and not doing it well may generate more revenue for them, but it will also erode the brand name that they have built up over the years.

Another visit back to Tiong Shian Porridge 長城粥品 at New Bridge Road. I realised that whenever I visit Chinatown, I will always visit Tiong Shian Porridge for dinner. Having to travel all the way from the North, how could I miss such an opportunity. If you would like a quick introduction of this, check out my previous posts. As usual (from my previous visits), we waited around half an hour for our food to arrive.The good thing is that the food always arrive all together at the same time! Tiong Shian Porridge's Raw Fish (small) $3.90 which ordered by almost everyone who patronise this coffee shop. The Raw Fish was served with slices of raw fish, ginger, chilli, shallot, spring onion, lettuce and a lime. The sauce underneath seems to contained sesame oil. The fish was fresh with no fishy taste. Soft and smooth with a hint of sweetness. A must order dish. How I wish I could order this fish and add it into my Chinese New Year Yu Sheng! The Braised Beancurd (Lou Beancurd) $2.60 was soft, smooth and silky. The sauce and the chilli provided complement the beancurd perfectly. This is the only beancurd dish that I know is served with chilli! Shiok! Another dish worth ordering. Simple yet delicious. The chicken given in the Chicken Porridge $3.20 were well marinate and tender. However, the porridge was on the salty end else it would be perfect. The must order, Dried Chilli Frog Leg (small) $8.00. It was well executed. The frog meat was well marinated and well coated with immense flavours of spiciness and sweetness. So delectable. A bowl of plain porridge $0.60 for me to savour by adding the sauce from the Dried Chilli Frog Leg.

If you are wondering where to get a good bowl of porridge with Dried Chilli Frog Leg or what to eat in Chinatown, Tiong Shian Porridge is unlikely to disappoint. To me the food here is irresistible!

For full review and more photos, please visit http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/02/tiong-shian-porridge-new-bridge-road.html

Four Seas Fried Mee & Rice•Fried Hor Fun is located in Albert Centre Market & Food Centre, near Bugis Junction. The stall specialises in dishing out Hor Fun, Fried Mee, Fish Head Soup, Slice Fish Soup and Seafood Soup. It had been almost 6 months since I patronised Four Seas Fried Mee & Rice•Fried Hor Fun. The main reason why it took me so long to visit this stall is not because of the food. Instead it was because I did not have the patience to wait. I still remember that the Hor Fun served here was outstanding, its gravy was tasty and flavourful. This time round, I resisted the temptation to order their Hor Fun and was determined to be patient and order another dish; the Fish Head Soup with Rice. I queue for 35 minutes during lunch hour! At long last I got my food. The Fish Head Soup with Rice at $4.50 was value for money! (I shall come to this part on why it was value for money later.) Customers can choose the fish soup with preserved vegetable or bitter gourd. In this meal, I chose preserved vegetable. You would have noticed from the above pictures, that they were very generous with the amount of fish head. (there were so many pieces that I took a good half an hour savouring them despite the fact that I consider myself a as a fast eater.) The soup was filled with many different ingredients. Preserved vegetables, fish meat, spring onions and several other ingredients that I could not recognise. There was also small bits of pork lard added to enhanced the flavour of the soup and provided an additional texture (crispy and crunchy).

The soup was 'souperlicious'. Robust and packed with flavours! It was slightly salty (mainly due to the preserved vegetables) with a faint hint of sweetness. The fish head was fresh. More importantly, it was not fried. You may have noticed how many fish soup stalls fried their fish head to help mask the fishy taste which at times means that the fish is not fresh. Despite the slight saltiness of the soup (I am very particular when it comes to saltiness, what I feel is salty may not be so to you), I finished the whole bowl of soup. The salted bean sauce mixed with chilli padi is a must for fish soup lovers. I cant' help but say how I wish that all fish soup stalls provide this instead of chilli padi with light soy sauce. The taste is totally different and does not complement as well as the ones with salted bean sauce!

Four Seas Fried Mee & Rice•Fried Hor Fun did not disappoint. It was a fulfilling meal. The only negative aspect was the long waiting time. I will be keen to try their bitter gourd slice fish soup when I have an opportunity and of course patience. It was so value for money considering the quantity and quality of fish given.

ps: Even if the queue at this stall is short, you are likely to wait for a long time. This is because the regulars normally normally do not queue, they order directly with the lady, find a seat nearby and are served. Hence, the queue at the stall (visible to you) may not be the actual queue. I have also noticed that for some regulars they do not need to make payment when they receive the food. Instead they make payment after they have eaten. Integrity!

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/02/four-seas-fried-mee-ricefried-hor-fun.html

Bliss Restaurant used to be located at Punggol Park. One and a half years ago, they relocated to Chengsan Community Centre which is just a stone throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Less than 10 minutes walk away from the station, most of which was through a sheltered walk way.

Bliss Restaurant offers customers with both indoor - air conditioned and outdoor - alfresco dining areas with a seating capacity of 300! On the day of visit, I noticed that more than half of the customers were seated at the alfresco dining area. Maybe it was because it was a cold day as it was raining an hour earlier.

Customers will be spoil for choice as Bliss Restaurant offers an extensive choice of dishes ranging from Starters, Appetizers, Sides, Pasta, Meat, Ocean, Dessert, Waffle, Sundae and Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Hot & Cold Beverages, Float, Cocktail, Beer, Liquor). As I had a hard time deciding what to order, I decided to seek recommendations from the staff. The Ham & Cheese Stick ($6.90) has been a Bliss Specialty Since 2001. It consisted of breaded chicken ham rolled with cheddar cheese. It was topped with fried curry leaves.I was quite impressed with the Ham & Cheese Stick. Cutting it into half and stuffing a piece of curry leaf into it heightened the aroma to a whole new different level. The only issue I have is that the cheese seems to 'solidify' pretty fast. Maybe we took too long taking photos of it.The Mussel In White Wine ($13.90), a dozen of half shell mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and parsley. The mussels were big, fat, juicy and fresh.The Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck ($12.90) was strongly recommended by the staff. I decided to order that but decided to order another type of pasta, which was the Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle.Duck meat is normally tough. However, in this case, Bliss Restaurant's Smoked Pepper Duck was soft and tender (I wonder how they cooked it). As a whole, I thought that this dish was well-executed. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise the squid ink pasta did not taste have a very strong squid ink taste which could have overwhelmed the flavours from the Aglio Olio!The Gratin RibEye Steak ($18.90) accompanied by baby potatoes and greens, was served with mushroom sauce on sizzling a hotplate. Normally, it is served with cheddar cheese, however, we decided to switch it to mushroom sauce as the starter we had earlier already had cheddar cheese in it.Was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the ingredients given. Lots of greens, baby potatoes, onions (at the bottom of the steak) and a big piece of steak!

The mushroom sauce was heavenly. It had the right blend of sweetness, fragrant and seems to be accompanied by a slight herbal taste. A perfect complement for the steak, potatoes and onions. I polished off this whole plate! The only 'glitch' was that the carrots were a tad too hard; could have been cooked a little longer.The Traditional Italian Tiramisu ($6.90), another Bliss Specialty Since 2001 was decent. Soft, moist and creamy with the right balance in taste.The Sea Salt Caramel Banana ($7.90) consisted of sliced banana tossed with salty caramel sauce topped over freshly made waffle. Unlike most waffles I have eaten so far, Bliss Restaurant's version was was thick and fluffy. The whole waffle was topped with slices of bananas and sea salt caramel sauce. How I wish I could add a scope of ice cream over it!Leaving the best for the last, the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark ($7.90); an alcoholic sundae was essentially dark chocolate ice cream swimming in kahlua bath accompanied with wholesome chunky rich brownies cubes and drizzled with chocolate fudge. I have never try / seen / hear of something like this before (mountain tortoise) and I am not a fan of alcoholic stuff. But yet the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark stole the show! The more you dig into it, the more you will love it. Outstanding!

Overall, I was impressed with the dining experience at Bliss Restaurant. The food was good and the prices are reasonable too. Good news for those staying in the North., there's another place to visit! I am so glad that they have relocated to Ang Mo Kio!

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/02/bliss-restaurant-ang-mo-kio.html