Wan Hao used to be a favourite with the family for quiet lunches and delightful dinners amidst the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road. However in recent times, standards have dipped and prices have ballooned, which naturally led to "diminishing returns". But as chance would have it, the 2 of us popped by for dinner after a hectic week at work.

Even though Marriott has recently completed a SGD 35 million renovation, Wan Hao has un(fortunately) been spared and the interior hasn't changed one bit. Which isn't bad in my humble opinion. The place still exudes exclusivity and a calming respite from the noise that plagues Singapore's main shopping belt (bar noisy families with kids of course).

Double?boiled fish maw with conpoy, bamboo pith and cepe mushroom served in shark’s bone consommé - We started off with a bowl of shark bone soup which was nice when taken in moderate quantities. Flavourful without being overly milky and I could make out the richness of the dried abalone.

Roasted Pork - To give the roast pork credit, the skin had a resounding crackle to it but did look a little burnt. I liked that it was adequately salty sans the overwhelming pork taste.

Oven Baked Sea Perch Fillet with Parma Ham in Lime Sauce - I thought that this dish was very well executed. The flesh was firm and the lime sauce/Chinese parsley combination gave it a pseudo Thai feel. Most appetising!

Braised home?made seaweed beancurd with shredded abalone, conpoy and mushroom - The homemade beancurd sported a crisp exterior with a layer of spinach atop, albeit coming across as rather bland. Enter the dried scallop and mushroom sauce which provided the necessary punch and didn't come across as too starchy.

Wok Fried Fresh Scallop Cubes with Tropical Mango in Fresh Milk and Egg Topped with Crab Roe served on a bed of Vermicelli - Though the description of this dish read delicious, the reality of things was that it was quite the flop. Way too watery with a sandy after texture. The mango cubes were sweet but overall a rather bland and confused dish in my humble opinion. Even the scallops couldn't help. To compound my disappointment, this used to be a dish that I liked quite a fair bit.

Four Treasures Fried Rice - When you have crab meat, BBQ pork, duck, tomato and conpoy all coming together in a plate of fried rice, there is really nothing you should be complaining about. And I'm not. The fried rice was flavourful with a fleeting wok hei. While the BBQ pork provided the necessary tinge of sweetness, the tomatoes imbued the dish with a tart finish. Nice!

The cheque for 2 came up to just over $176. Pricey, if I may say. But great food overall, save for the egg white and mango dish. Standards seemed to have returned to the days of old. Well, almost.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/07/wan-hao-part-ii.html

Had dinner at Tung Lok Seafood @ Arena Country Club, a rather obscure club (if you even call it a club) just opposite SAFTI MI. Strangely enough, the same stretch of low rise buildings also host a go karting track and a huge burger king outlet.

The place is quite a size and can easily fit up to 200+ people. However, the interior is a little dated but still presentable nonetheless. Definitely more suited to family dining than business meals.

Homemade Beancurd with Spinach - Sitting on a bed of spinach and topped with mushrooms, this dish lacked consistency. Some pieces of beancurd had a nice savoury taste but some were just outright bland. Pity really.

Sweet and Sour Pork - While I will admit that the sweet and sour pork had a nice smoky taste to it, the meat to flour proportion was greatly skewed in favour of the flour, which was a real bummer. Not to mention that portions were tiny for $18++.

Stir Fried Kailan - Drenched in light, mildly salty gravy without being overcooked. Very decent.

Roast Chicken - Served with the de facto crackers, the roast chicken boasted razor thin crisp skin coupled with tender flesh and a generous splashing of salt. Only gripe I had was that the meat could have been juicier. Still good though but nothing compared to what I had at Lung King Heen (http://www.timelessfacade.com/2011/10/lung-king-heen-hong-kong.html) of course.

Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Sauce - Apparently Tung Lok came up with this dish many years ago. I am not sure how accurate this piece of information is but the prawns were really quite good. Huge, crunchy and coated in a thin layer of flour with a mild tolerable level of wasabi. But it's $52++ for a large serving for 9 pax.

Horfun with Prawns - Although each of us managed to snag a huge prawn each, the hor fun itself lacked wok hei but I did like the not too starchy gravy with generous amounts of egg. But at $40++ for such a small portion, I'm inclined to think that it's quite overpriced.

Total bill for the 9 of us stood at $238 with a 20% discount. Sure, we were all stuffed at the end of it (courtesy of the ever reliable bowls of rice) and food quality was generally above average, but I wouldn't term it value for money. Portions were less than generous and honestly, none of the ingredients in our dishes were anywhere near expensive. But still, if a family dinner is at hand and you would like an "established" brand name with decent food and prices that won't break your bank, Tung Lok Seafood may just appeal to you.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/04/tung-lok-seafood.html

Fresh from a wonderful lunch memory just a couple of weeks back, we descended upon Ember once again in an attempt to re-live that experience.

Complimentary Bread - Still as aromatic and delish as ever, the complimentary bread came piping hot with a cheesy nuance. Perfect when eaten alone or with butter! It was so good that we had 3 servings this time round. Thank god for being the first customers in the restaurant!

Field Mushroom Soup with Poached Egg and Foie Gras - The soup had a heady fragrance (from the truffle oil) and rich with strong mushroom overtones while the foie gras pieces came across as quivery and mildly sweet sans the gaminess. Nice! But where's the egg?

Pan Roasted Scallop with Parma Ham, Citrus and Tarragon Vinaigrette - The scallops were still a little soft in the center but nicely roasted till a little crisp on the outside. Wrapped around was a thin slice of bacon that provided a nice salty dimension. Pop one whole scallop into your mouth and be rewarded with a myriad of flavours - salty, peppery and topped with a nice roasted taste.

Crispy Duck Leg Confit with New Potatoes, Caramalised Onion - Thyme Jus - Crisp skin coupled with pinkish, melt in the mouth meat that sat on a bed of mushrooms and potatoes - a well executed dish of duck confit. Plus point was that it didn't come across as too greasy, which was psychologically good.

12 Hour Cooked Pork Belly with Savoy Cabbage, Apple Puree and Spiced Calvados Sauce - Sitting on a garden of cabbage and bacon bits, I loved how insanely crispy the pork belly skin was and how tender the meat turned out to be. Served alongside was a caramelized apple ring with green apple puree which acted as a balance to the pork belly's saltiness. Delicious!

Crispy Caramelized Pear Tart with Homemade Baileys Ice Cream - Flaky, buttery pastry crammed with sweet slices of pear, topped with crumble and served with a scoop of mild Baileys ice cream. Absolutely delicious! I reckon I could have seconds if they actually offered it ala carte during lunch.

Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - First time I'm trying out Ember's chocolate fondant and I must say that its honestly quite respectable. Nice viscous center oozing out not too sweet molten chocolate that carried a tinge of bitterness in it. Came with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Lunch was great and $50/head isn't too expensive to pay for such a wonderful meal in my humble opinion. Service was great as well. I do wish the restaurant would move to bigger premises though. The current table layout is really quite cramp. But I digress.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/03/restaurant-ember-iv.html

Took time out on a weekday to have lunch at one of my favourite "value for money" lunch places - Ember. Much has been mentioned about Ember's food quality and reasonable lunch pricing to boot and I staunchly stand by that.

The interior hasn't changed since my last visit and is still as cramp as ever. If you are looking for a romantic and quiet night out with a date, you probably shouldn't go to Ember. At Ember, it's all about the food and the friendly service.

Complimentary Bread - As usual, I had seconds of Ember's wonderful complimentary bread - Aromatically crusty with a subtle cheesy aftertaste and served piping hot. Delicious! I would have gladly gone for a third serving if offered ;)

Pan Roasted Scallop with Parma Ham, Citrus and Tarragon Vinaigrette - The trio of smallish pan roasted scallops had a nice crust to it and so did the Parma ham that was wrapped around it. Lightly salted and peppered, it was juicy and flavourful but just a wee bit too soft in the center for my liking. Taste was spot on though.

Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apples and Clove, Port and Raspberry Glaze - I simply love the overall taste and texture of this dish. The foie gras was quivery and smooth with a nice crisp top that spotted a light dash of salt. Semi crunchy apples at the base helped cut through the nausea while the glaze provided a tinge of sweetness. A perfect balance of flavours! I had to top up $6++ for the foie gras and it was well worth it.

Pan Roasted USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin with French Fries, Merlot Reduction - Done a perfect medium as per my request, the tenderloin did seem a little soft even though I must commend it's excellent flavours. Topped with golden mushrooms (which is rather unconventional), it boasted a strong bovine taste coupled with a nice juiciness and sweet undertones from the merlot reduction. The side of flour coated fries were average but I thought that the dipping sauce was worth a mention. What's interesting about it is that you get a spicy kick at the back of your throat only towards the end.

Pan Seared Chilean Seabass with Mushroom & Smoked Bacon Ragout, Truffle Yuzu Butter Sauce - What could be better than a smooth and silky piece of fish with a crisp golden top, sitting on a bed of mushrooms and bacon immersed in deliciously creamy sauce Nothing I say, not even the beef tenderloin! And that's coming from a beef lover.

Crispy Cinnamon Apple Pie with Homemade Ice Cream - This definitely didn't look like any apple pie that I've seen, looking more like a humongous and elongated piece of samosa. Appearances aside, the apple pie was stellar, to say the least. Crackling crispy filo pastry filled with lightly tart yet sweet apple cubes, topped with crumble and served alongside rum & raisin ice cream and a spoonful of honey. Delicious!

Crispy Caramelized Pear Tart with Homemade Baileys Ice Cream - Yet another delightful dessert. The tart was flaky with a nice crunch (very much like croissant!) and filled with sweet, thinly slices of pear. Topped with crumble and served with baileys ice cream. Simple yet excellent.

A wonderful lunch cost the 2 of us to the tune of $100 and while I wouldn't call it cheap, it was worth every single cent. Service was good but the kitchen did seem a little slow at times, probably due to the packed restaurant. But I'm not complaining. The food is consistent and that's what's important. I'll definitely be back for more. In fact, at the point of writing, I already have.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/02/restaurant-ember-iii.html

Old style steak houses are slowly disappearing with time and taking with them memories of the culinary scene of yesteryear. Many such restaurants have revamped themselves to catch up with modern times, leaving but a pitiful few to keep the line. Mariners' Corner Restaurant & Steakhouse is one such restaurant which still hangs on to a part of history.

Inconspicuously located at the ground floor of Maritime House along Cantonment Road, Mariners' Corner has been around since 1984 and mainly catered to seafarers who dropped by the Singapore Mariner's Club. Decked out to look like a ship cabin, the interior exuded a sense of coziness and warm nostalgia with its carpeted floors, wooden panelings and checkered table cloths.

Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread - The mushroom soup tasted like your straight out of the can Campbell soup, which was still quite decent while the garlic bread, though generous size wise, tasted nothing out of the ordinary.

Escargot Gastrome - Its been ages since I last ate Escargots. Used to have them on a regular basis when I was in Canada but stopped altogether when I returned to Singapore because of their prohibitively expensive prices here. Well I finally broke the duck and ordered half a dozen at $8, which is rather cheap if you ask me. The Escargots were baked with garlic and butter and came across as very fragrant and tasty with a rather strong garlic taste. Not that I'm complaining though as the garlic helps to mask the rawness of the flesh. However, having said that, I still prefer my Escargots baked with a layer of cheese on top. Just a subtle reminder, please do not expect top quality Escargots for the price though.

Ribeye Steak Combo with Skewered Prawn - Ribeye steak with prawns on a kebab. Whats not to like Plenty actually. The steak, though done up medium rare and of relatively generous portions, was a little soft and limp texture wise. The accompanying mushroom sauce was flavourful though and complemented the lightly charred taste of the steak.

While the steak was still decent, the skewered prawns were a let down. Served with mushrooms and other vegetables, the prawns were unfresh and probably a little undercooked. The only positive thing was that the restaurant actually took the effort to remove the innards of the prawns before grilling it.

Grilled Lobster with Boneless Chicken Fillet - I was shocked by the size of the lobster when this dish came into view. It was huge, at least for the price. Having said that, the amount of meat that came with the lobster was pathetic, weighing in no more than 2 mouthfuls. On top of that, the meat was a little too dry and tough. The chicken fared a little better, with the meat nicely marinated with garlic and pepper, giving it a nice pepperish taste. With the accompanying mushroom sauce, it actually tasted quite decent.

Dinner for 2 in a relaxing environment with excellent service cost >$60, which isn't too much to pay considering we had steak, lobsters, escargots and other stuff like free flow salad, dessert, soft drinks and soup which came with the set meal. Sure, this isn't the best place to enjoy a good quality dinner, not even close. But it makes you feel right at home and prices are considerably cheap for what you get. So if you do go, lower your expectations, kick back and relax.