Now, if you think Orange Clove's tagline "Delivering a World of Good Taste" is just another fancy marketing tagline, you're in for a surprise. Orange Clove delivers more than just a good tagline, they deliver a good selection of taste on top of great service, all of that for an affordable price of $20 per pax. You see, whenever I attend seminars, I don't really expect much from the food but I have to say the catering done by Orange Clove is better than I expected.

The Buttered Rice with Nuts and Raisins was unique and tasty enough to be eaten on its own as the healthy raisins gave a sweet fragrance to the rice. Moms and Dads, if you have children in the house and want them to eat their rice, offer them this.

If you spotted a dish you like, be sure to go at it quick, and not be like me, who didn't get to try much of the Yakitori Chicken Skewers and Wasabi Prawns with Fruit Salad, both of which are hot favorites amongst the guests and readily whipped up in only a matter of seconds.

The Sauteed Vegetables came with mushrooms and carrots, and although it doesn't seem to be a hot favorite amongst the other guests of that night (or was it possible than they were stuffed from the other food like the Yakitori I mentioned and neglected this dish?), i enjoyed it because it was so crisp and fresh. They separated the stems and leaves which I appreciate because I don't eat stems and it was always tough just trying to tear them apart.

Also served as part of the $20 per pax is the Pan-fried Fish Fillet with Lemon Butter Emulsion, Prawn Cocktail which came nicely chilled seated on a bed of fruit salad, lots of appetizers and deserts which includes the macaroons, tarts, brownies, cream puffs and my favorite which I keep going back for more: The Mini Peppermint Shooter which was covered with Oreo Crunch.

The catering experience was made better by the provision of well-trained service staff who make sure everyone's needs were met and questions about the food were answered, as well as the silk flower arrangement and candles which gave the whole setting a more aesthetic touch.

I just got off the airport from Phuket when my Aunt suggested meeting me up for lunch at City Plaza. I always thought of the mall as a place for cheap fashion finds and not food, so I was surprised to learn that the place we will be eating at City Plaza was famous for its fried chicken.

Located in the corner on the second floor, Arnold’s already has a long queue by the time we got there around 1 p.m. The menu was largely heavy on fried chicken, battered-fish, crisp fries, and fresh offerings; I was pleasantly delighted with the comparability it had to the southern restaurants I’ve been to in the States. It was a nice alternative from KFC and Popeye's.

Chicken
My order was a half-spring chicken, battered fish, a heap of fries, and a side of cole-slaw. The chicken is the focus, hands-down, as it was served hot and the skin was still crackling from the oil. With a bite, the juiciness of the meat really came out, as the juice ran down my chin. Forget about utensils, get your hands in there! The batter was very well-seasoned, with a subtle spiciness, and the color just right.

Fish, fries and Sauce
As for the fish, it wasn’t anything spectacular that you couldn’t get a local fast-food restaurant. It tended towards the oily side, and with some tartar sauce on it, I definitely felt a little slower after taking one piece. The fries were great, crisp and flavorful as the chicken, but be warned, be sure to eat these quickly, as the sogginess monster definitely attacks these after a while. My team loved the fries with the chili sauce on the table, but as for myself, I’m definitely a Spartan and could appreciate it on its own. The cole-slaw was excellent, but if you’re more of a purist than the sweet sort, I’d be sure to skip on these.

Service and Ambiance
Overall, the experience is definitely that of the cuisine. There’s no ambiance, as the servers promptly brought out the food and cleared tables, in an effort to cater to the lunch-time queue that’s formed outside. It’s fairly noisy inside, but if you came for a romantic dinner, you’re definitely in the wrong place. Great food, decent price, I would definitely stop by again for any fried chicken cravings again. If you're on a diet, you can jolly well forget about it when you step through it's colorful inviting doors.

I've heard raves about this place being one of the best in Singapore for high tea, but was a bit concern about whether it'll be an ideal place for dinner as well, since we're about to patronize Plaza Singapura to catch Eat, Pray, Love after work on a Friday night.

On the outside, Tea Cosy looked unlike any other place in the mall, with a blend of retail therapy that offers angels and vintage furniture for sale as well as cosy dining with nicely crafted comfort food.

Initially, I thought Tea Cosy is just another pretty place without much regards for the quality of the food as most pretty places are, but surprise surprise, their food is as delicious as it is well-presented.

Take their Tea Cosy Peppermint Cool ($5.95) for our first example. Arriving with style in a martini glass, the drink was an interesting shade of baby blue with 4 colorful flower marshmallows floating on a bed of foam, contained by a glass rim of brown grainy sugar. It's arrival halted us in our conversations, as my girlfriends demanded to try out my drink. Hmmm, interesting strong taste of milk and peppermint, they all seem to agree.

Next came the Volcano Nachos ($10.95) which caused an eruption amongst four of us as we attack the corn chips and dipped it into the bed of melted cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and jalapeno chillies. A definite crowd pleaser as it provides as with something to pick at while we waited for our main course and chatted about office woes.

The Tangy Tomato and Crabmeat Soup sounds delicious on the menu, but it was merely ordinary and nothing tangy about it. A waste of stomach space if you'll ask me. The Baked Mushrooms ($9.50)starter, on the other hand, is worth a mention. Bite-sized and addictive, it came in 10 pieces, topped with sun-dried tomato strips and melted Parmesan cheese and was quickly gobbled up in a matter of seconds.

For the main course, I had the Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad ($13.95) which was nothing spectacular but overall still quite enjoyable. I even had room for their creme brulee, my favorite type of dessert!

Overall, I would say I'll definitely come back here again. It is indeed a piece of heaven in a crowded mall like Plaza Singapura.

Do not be fooled by this Halal restaurant's bland appearance on Bedok Road because the food and service screams anything but so.

Service
Chef Fabian is one of those chefs who takes on the dual duty of going hands-on preparing meals in the kitchen and also making the effort to come out and mingle with the guests whenever he could. The staff were not very informed but the Chef's energy and hospitality is enough to make up for his whole service crew.

Price & Ambiance
Food were definitely value for money. The place also opens till 1 a.m, so it is great for people living in the east to meet up for supper. There is also flat screen TV, so yes for all you World Cup fans, you won't miss your matches.

Food
Each dish was well thought out and one-of-a-kind - from the starters, to the main course, to the drinks and even the condiments!

I can't really say much about the Lamb Rack Mega I ordered ($14) because - and I'm quite embarrassed to admit this - I was so addicted to the starters and drinks, I lose all self control such that when it came to the main course, I was already full and couldn't quite enjoy it to the fullest capacity. But really, can you blame me? Just look at those starters if you will, please! The mashed potato salad with ham served cold, though sounds very ordinary on the menu at first, looks anything but so. It was interestingly served in a cup that made the whole dish look like ice cream. And how exactly did he make such a boring dish so flavorful?

Then there were the nuggets, chicken wings and fries which were true to Chef Fabian's words: Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Dip these sinful starters into the nacho-cheese-based special sauce of Chef Fabian, and off to foodie heaven I go!

I have the Lamb Rack Mega for the main course and didn't find it anything fantastic (price or taste or uniqueness), but like I said, it could just be the fact that my taste buds were biased and still lusting after the starters. The Ice Tea Cino (a deadly combination of milk, tea and whipped cream) didn't help with my digestion either.

Oh dear, it is pretty late now and what is that I hear? My stomach craving for another round of nuggets, chicken wings and special cheese sauce! Wonder what still open in the East at 9 p.m...

It was Mother’s Day and I had it all plan out: I’m gonna bring my Momma to Illuma to try out Manhattan Fish Market. You know, that spacious restaurant with luxurious red sofas? Known for its fresh American-Style seafood?

On our way there, we passed by Bugis Street and saw several restaurants, including the famous QQ Noodle House and the nondescript Koo Kee Dumpling and Ramen House. We had a change of hearts and decided to settle for some Asian food instead. Naturally, if you’ve never been to both places before, your first instinct was to try out QQ Noodle House because 1) It was more crowded and we assume crowded = good food, and 2) Their entrance was fancily adorned with their Award Winning Certificates and features in newspapers.

However, my Mom thought the wait at QQ was ridiculous and besides Koo Kee’s Roasted Chicken with Homemade Sauce on the display photo started talking to our stomachs. We went through the non-descript entrance to be greeted by a slightly rowdy, Hong Kong Style ambience with wooden chairs and warm lighting.

For only $11.80, we did as demanded by the headless chopped up chicken, whose crispy skin is a thinner, less fatty version of Peking Duck’s. I love the homemade peanut sauce, but my boyfriend found it a little too sweet. Then again, he is a fitness freak, so “too sweet” for him is normal for most people.

We tried out another Chef’s Recommendation: Spicy Beancurd With Shrimp. The dish was served hotpot style mixed with carrots, bell peppers, plump shrimp, tofu, eggs and crisp vegetables with umami gravy. The picture on the menu did not fully capture the tasty glory of this dish.

Since we’re at a Dumpling and Ramen House, with a further promotion going on ($4.50 per bowl) we gotta try the Dumplings and Ramen right? My boyfriend’s a Ramen fanatic (I wonder if there is a correlation between Ramen and Manga considering the awful lot of love he showers on them both. Grrrrrr.) I wasn’t a fan of the noodles and thought it was rather bland (no, it is not jealousy at talk here), but my boyfriend found the Japanese style dish refreshing, with a generous serving of cucumbers, bean sprouts, mushrooms and minced pork. It was served differently from the other ramen dishes he had tried so far.

Service was prompt (although some would argue that it feels rushed, but isn’t that so with all such road side restaurants?). All dishes were served in 10 minutes on Mother’s Day. Patience wasn’t a trait my mother possessed, so this restaurant was perfect for that special day.

FYI, you have to pay for the wet towels and the pickled vegetables served before the meal.

All in all, Koo Kee Dumpling and Ramen House is great for a quick and affordable lunch time fix without sacrificing taste before a movie at Illuma or after a tiresome shopping trip at Bugis Village.