JEM is the BEST thing to happen to the western part of Singapore and residents from Boon Lay and Clementi to Bukit Batok and Chua Chy Kang obviously think so too. JEM is thronging with people weekdays and weekends and the heartlanders descend in the mall once it opens with the crowds swelling as the day progresses peaking at dinner time. No surprises that the strategically located Starbucks Cafe is ALWAYS busy. Kudos to the team of baristas who deliver brisk, cheerful, efficient and friendly service non-stop from am all day into the evenings

Grande Espresso Frappucino $6.60 with a slice of Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake $6.50 were assembled within 5 minutes and had to go as all the seats had been taken up on Sunday. Espresso gave me the badly needed caffeine fix without being overly sweet. Raspberry cheesecake was rich, smooth, creamy and very filling. No need for dinner after such a satisfying coffee break, and completely energized for another bout of intensive shopping.

Be prepared to queue at least half an hour for a table at this Japanese buffet restaurant even on a weekday. The wallet friendly prices have made it a favourite among teenagers and young adults who made up thr bulk of their customers when we dropped by for lunch on Friday pm. The price for weekday lunch buffet was $19.90++ or $23.30 nett per head.

Here you pay up first, then you're given a table not of your choice and you can start going for the food. The square shaped show kitchen occupies the centre of the restaurant. It is surrounded by the buffet selection which makes it easy for the chefs to replenish the food and diners can help themselves to what they want as they watch the chefs at work. There is reasonable variety for the price paid - sashimi, sushi, takoyaki, yakitori, tempura, rice, different types of fried noodles, sushi, miso soup and japanese style cracker pizzas. With quantity, you'll have to sacrifice quality and authenticity. The food is like what you'll find in fast food places like Yoshinoya and the Japanese stalls at food courts and in Singaporeanised japanese restaurant chains like Sakae Sushi or Ichiban.At one end of the restaurant youll find the drinks bar and dessert bar. Be prepared to queue for 20 minutes like we did at Friday lunch to reach their dessert bar which has cut fruits, meiji ice cream, jellies and tiny cubes of cakes.

OK but not 'wow' kind of buffet and imho not worth the waiting and queuing time.

This Coffee Club outlet is far from being the best place to chill. Neither conducive to conversation or people watching. The cafe has no windows and most patrons have no views, unless you manage to get one of the five tables at the far end of the cafe which overlooks the lobby of Swissotel The Stamford. The tables at this Coffee Club are arranged less than an arm's length fom one another so much so that one can hear every single word uttered by those seated at the neighboring table even if they were speaking in hushed tones. Service is rather slow and inattentive.

The entree menu here is less extensive than other Coffee Club outlets. Some popular items like pork ribs and slipper lobster linguineare not available at this branch. The day we visited both seafood entrees - fish and chips, and shrimp crusted salmon filet - were not available. So most of the choices left were pasta dishes. Hete is the pesto fish and clam chowder linguine $16.20++. The pasta was a little overcooked - turned out a tad soft rather than al dente. The clam chowder was bland and way too watery, and there was only five of the tiniest clams I've ever seen. There were two chunks of white fish that was totally bland and tasteless - obviously fish that had been in the freezer too long and not marinated prior - almost like eating microwaved fish. The handful.of mesclun leaves topping the dish was also out of place. Thumbs down!

Chatterbox's reputation was built in its signature dish of Hainanese chicken rice. This dish needs no introductionand visitors invariably opt for this or the laksa with baby Boston lobster (subject for another review). Although I opted for breast meat, the chicken was cooked to perfection - juicy and tender. However, like those who have tasted the original version of Chatterbox's chicken rice, I felt that the standard has dipped somewhat. The rice is not as fragrant and toothsome as in the past, while the chilli sauce no longer packs a punch - chilli fiends may even describe it as being too muted or having not enough 'kick'. Unless one is a Meritus Club member with dining privileges of 15%-50% off, the prices of the local hawker staples featured on Chatterbox's menu renders dining here an occasional indulgence. Better value and quality chicken rice can be found elsewhere ie at more modest surroundings and prices.

Ambush 's two course set meals with your choice of beverage, priced from $9.90++ to $11.90++ , offers diners great value on weekdays, and are available up to 5pm.

I had the Thai style salmon pasta set at $11.90++. Soup of the day was a concentrated homemademushroom soup which was redolent with the fragrancee of pureed button mushrooms. Very filling as a starter. The server offered a choice of penne, fusili, spaghetti or linguine for the main course. I picked the last. The pan seared salmon was nicely done and the tom yum flavoured tomato sauce amply coated each strand of linguine which makes for a very hearty entree. Iced tea was my choice of beverage to wash everything down.

The aircon here is almost non existent due to the open concept of the restaurant. The buzzer from the neighboring Gong
Cha outlet which is always busy also contributed to the noise level of this restaurant. Service was apathetic and unremarkable. PS outlet still the best in terms of ambience and service.