5 OpenRicers were invited to 1-Twenty Six, a open-air & romantic restaurant by the beach for this week's ORTU at Playground @ Big Splash along the ever-relaxing East Coast Parkway.

We were first greeted by 7 different cocktails from their bar: "7 Desirable Sins"

Personally, I am not a good drinker nor do I know which alcohol is better and apparently I get really sleepy when I drink, which is a sign of me being drunk. Comments on the drinks? Not much. But I really like the first drink out of the seven that we had and if I am not wrong, it is called "Antoinette's Vanity" under PRIDE/Vodka Cocktails in the menu. This drink has minimal alcoholic bitterness and the fruity taste is also fully maximized. Strong taste, yet subtle. I like!

By the way, there's also this drink called "The Screaming Banshee" (DESPAIR/tequila) that is really unique because of its spiciness! I was so shocked when I first drank it, despite finding it too strong for me, I guess it would be a great choice for adventurous readers to try this unique drink.

Now, here's the exciting part: FOOD!

The Nibble Platter, $32 & Seafood Platter, $85

Even though both platters are delicious, I would prefer the Nibble Platter, especially the Homemade cod brandade with grilled brushetta (the minced fish meat on bread). Deliciously mixed with spices and spread on the bread, the mild taste in my mouth is so refreshing and I love the way this platter open my appetite. As I am more of a "warm food" kind of person, despite loving seafood to max, Nibble Platter is pretty much the kind of appetizer/finger food that I would go for instead.

For seafood lovers, if you would not mind cold dishes, try out their seafood platter too! For a person who does not like sashimi like me to actually like the taste of the raw food in this platter determines how fresh and how good the seafood is. It was really good. Get some of the oyster before anyone snatch it, get a mouthful of the juiciness and freshness.


Seared King scallops with smoked sea urchin risotto, $18 / $28
Scallops are my all-time favorite, other than that... I guess this dish tastes a little bit more "normal", more of like wet and sticky rice (or porridge) with some meat and garnishes on it.


Grilled King prawns, $24/$32
TIGER PRAWNS plus goat cheese at the bottom! Awesome grilled taste of the prawns with addition of the "bun" with goat cheese filling inside, this is one of my favorite dish that night.


Classic fish pie, $35
I kind of find this fish pie taste more of like... thick clam soup? It has quite a strong taste of cream and seafood, not a bad choice for creamy food lovers though. Remember to eat it hot before the crust lose its crispiness!


Roast Baby Chicken, $38
OMG! THIS ROAST BABY CHICKEN* IS TOTALLY WORTH TO MAD LOVE AND SPAZZ OVER! (*Though the name of the dish is kinda "cruel" to me - like they roast "babies" of chickens. =x) There could not be a more tender chicken texture than this dish! The marinated roast chicken's tenderness and its deliciously marinated sauce, with fries & apple sauce ... You do not even want to socialize with anyone at your table while eating this, well... that's for me. Haha.

Valrhona dark and white chocolate fondant, $14
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DESSERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing beats a superb dessert after meal, no matter how full you are, you were.


Chocolate Fondant, names in various terms; taste and texture differs everywhere, still tastes as awesome at 1-Twenty Six. The warm chocolate sauce in the warm chocolate cake, one mouthful of the cake and one mouthful of the chilling ice-cream. Life is as good as this.


Frozen 'desconstructed' strawberry shortcake, $14
Strawberry Shortcake, another classic favorites of all time, taste a little different here. This dish has many different layered textures, it is full of surprise!


Grande Assiette, $28
Ahhhh... this Grande Assiette ($28), a selection of 5 petits sized desserts, is another good choice for dessert lovers but do not like it over-sweet. I find the Lemons and Limes ($14) quite refreshing, despite being sour (guys, please do not try this if you can't handle sourness) in the awesome way.

So satisfied with the food and especially the dessert and I really like the ambience in the restaurant too. Service is brilliant (the waiters that were serving us were so nice! *thumbs up*) and I bet it would be the best place for dating and maybe anniversary dinner? No need to risk to ruin your night with bad service, plus with plenty of good food to choose over and of course, the romantic atmosphere.


For full review: http://lovelivfe.com/2010/09/11/ortu-1-twenty-six-1rochestergroup/

Seriously, is there anyone who doesn't love the IKEA meatballs after they ate them? I bet not.

Don't be bluff by the IKEA's big name in the local furniture industry, it is not only good in manufacturing furniture, their cafe is even more astounding with their wide range of food. I supposed everyone who went to eat there before will definitely go back whenever they can, even if it means traveling down to "ulu" places like Queenstown or Tampines.

Obviously, my favorite dish is the Swedish meatballs - a mixture of beef and pork meat, with a layer of mushroom sauce on it PLUS boiled potatoes. Gawd, this is the best combination. The sauce is what it takes to hold the whole dish together. It's like eating an appetizer and a main course together!

Next in the list of IKEA food that I love is the Chicken Drumstick (I forgot what's the real name but you get the drift). I am really picky with chicken meat actually, I like it tender, I like it when there's more than just the "chicken taste". IKEA cafe made this dish so good that every time I go back, I would definitely order this dish!

Last but not least, their another speciality is their Chicken wings! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Most importantly, it doesn't taste as oily as what is sold outside (eg. coffeeshop). Trust me, IKEA cafe is ALWAYS flooded with people eating their chicken wings AND meatballs! Call at least 2 friends with you and order all their specialties! Eat double the share with half the price you pay!

Oh, by the way! Try not to be there around lunch/dinner hour. The queue and the wait for seats can be quite horrendous if you have walked around for very long because of the influx of crowd in there! It makes me think that everyone's motive at IKEA is to eat, instead of looking for furniture! Funny, but interesting sight.

As service is not really needed there, I shall not elaborate much. One thing you must take note is also... CLEAR YOUR OWN DISHES!

The previous time I went to Ichiban Sushi, to be honest, I don't quite like the udon set. Imagine eating both rice and cold noodles in the same set but the side dishes are not even enough.

However, I am totally in love with it's "Tori Maru Cheese Wazen". The cheese over the fried chicken rice is absolutely heavenly! With a chawanmushi, and miso soup, it's complete. I am a cheese lover so whatever food with cheese, I would love it to core. Though I find it hard to swallow because the whole main course was quite dry, nonetheless, it was so delicious that I want to order another one.

I am officially addicted to Waraku's pasta, the creamy taste of the spaghetti noodles plus the nice smooth sauce or soup base and yet it feels very healthy eating it.

A great place to have lunch or dinner once in a while, especially their pasta and service is definitely worth its price. Last but not least, Waraku is having lots of promotion for the students or debit/credit card holders with more discounts for its delicious food.

Lovely food there, no wonder it has so many branches! Their series of creamy pasta is a must try, and there is even extra cheese provided if you love a more cheesy taste. Even though the crab meat is not really tender... I love the prawns though!

Most importantly, great news for all students out there!

Dine in at Waraku and show them your student pass in order to get a 20% discount off your bill, valid for EVERYDAY!