Hot Star Large Fried Chicken originated from Taiwan, and opened with alot of fanfare in Singapore last year.

Before the first store even opened, I've already heard rumours raving about the XXXL size of the chicken cutlet and how it was really authentic, so tasty AND value for money at the same time. I have not tried this when I was in Taiwan, which was a regret. As the rumours sounded too good to be true, it got me quite excited to give it a try, so I, too, dived right into the fanfare and queued more than 1hr for my first piece of Fried Chicken cutlet.This is the store at Tampines 1. The ordering to collection process was rather systematic. Basically it was queueing, ordering, paying, then we were given a queue number to wait. When our orders were ready, our queue number would be flashed on the screen.Fried chicken cutlet with seaweed flavourFried chicken cutlet with plum flavour

Size and Price:

The chicken cutlets were really quite huge. I purchased 2 and shared it amongst 4 people.
However, there were also large pieces of chicken bones fried together with the cutlet. For about $4.50 a piece, I would say the portion is comparable to Shihlin's $3.50 fried chicken cutlet. Basically you pay a little more, you get little more, so it's nothing really unique.

Quality:

All orders were served fresh and piping hot, because the chicken is only fried after you order. The skin was crispy and good. However I found the meat to be slightly dry and tough. The cut of the meat was chicken breast meat.

Taste:

The flavours and seasoning really does affect the overall taste of the chicken cutlet by alot! So personally I guess I still prefer to go with the original taste. My friends and I didn't really enjoy the seaweed and plum flavoured chicken because we thought the flavours didn't go so well together.

Saizeriya at Liang Court is a casual dining restaurant.

Sometimes there are queues during weekend lunch/dinner peak hours, but otherwise one shouldn't have to wait before entering the restaurant.I went there during weekday lunch. The prices of the lunch set meals are rather attractive, and on top of being affordable, they do not have GST or service charge.

I went for the black pepper chicken spaghetti set at only $6.90 nett.

It includes:

A salad;Free flow drinks (there're hot and cold beverages, like coffee, milo, root beer, iced tea, etc.. Quite a good selection); andLast but not least the black pepper chicken spaghetti itself.Looks rather plain from here.

At only a budget of $6.90 nett, I'd say the food and service at this restaurant is definitely commendable and value for money.

Otherwise, if you're looking for a really nice tasty treat, you're better off heading elsewhere.

CHOCTAIL. Frozen Chocolate Frappe.

I went past Max Brenner at Esplanade, and had to stop for a thick ice cold cup of chocolate. It was the ultimate stress-reliever of the day.Pleasant cosy place. I could stay and chill-out with my friends all day.Pure Chocolate Truffle Granita. $9.90 before service charge and GST.
Essentially, it was Pure chocolate truffle blended with ice, with a choice of dark, milk, or white chocolate.
I chose milk chocolate.

The drink came served in what was called the Alice Cup.
One thing I enjoy here, other than the drink itself, was slurping up the ice cold drink with a metal straw.
Before the chocolate even reached my mouth, the coldness of the straw already stimulated my taste buds.Slurping up the ice cold thick chocolate was immensely satisfying. Albeit thick, it was not overwhelming at all. The chocolate was blended very nicely; smooth and very drinkable!

I could finish the whole cup within minutes and still wanted more.

The only disappointment was the 45 minutes wait for just 1 cup of blended chocolate. The restaurant wasn't very crowded, only about two-thirds filled, and even then most of the tables had already received their orders. I almost cancelled my order when the waiter told us it hasn't even been prepared (after 30 minutes of waiting). Good thing I decided to stay and wait, and the satisfaction from the chocolate cancelled out the disappointment I felt.

Very nice maracon box! 1 free box with every 6 macarons.$3 each

The flavours:
- Blond
- Matcha
- Strawberry
- Salted Caramel
- Chestnut Rum
- Pistachio

My favourite one has got to be pistachio, which is unique with a slight tinge of nutty flavour, and not too sweet. The blond flavoured one was too sweet for me.

The macarons here are really good. The crust is smooth and thin, and shatters apart when I bite into it, revealing a very soft yet slightly chewy consistency. Addictive and delicious!

Sampling table

There are lots of cheese available for sampling here, and every kind tastes very different from each other.

Other than those on the sampling table, the service staff also brought out many different cheese, and cut out sampling portions for everybody to try.

What is interesting is that the same cheese, subjected to different ageing process or duration, tastes very distinct from each other, so it's not only about the extent of the smell, but about an entirely different character.

In the end, I walked away from a 4-year old Gouda and Capriflocon.Capriflocon - 100% raw goat's milk.

This is a creamy cheese and needs to be refrigerated. At the first bite, it feels like eating an entire goat, complete with its skin. It's like smelling an entire goat farm and having the same taste at the back of the throat - not kidding! It was rather overwhelming, but once you get past the first bite, the rest of it was less pungent and infact rather enjoyable.4 year old Gouda - 100% silage free cow milk

"Not all Gouda are the same. Only when it is made in the ancient method can a Gouda be aged for this long. Only revived from extinction in 2003, only 2 producers in the world of The Netherlands make this today. Production is very small."

This gouda cheese breaks apart easily due to the effects of the ageing process - and that's how it is. I break off a small chunk each time and nibble on it as a snack. It has a very sharp and strong pleasant pungence, but is an acquired taste. I took it together with white wine and it was one of the best experience ever!

Overall the cheese were all rather delicious - I'm a cheese lover.